(REUTERS) -- Africa-focused gold producer Goldplat has poured the first bar of gold from its Kilimapesa mine in Kenya, marking the beginning of production in the east African country's first gold project, the company said on Tuesday.

London-listed Goldplat said this followed the commissioning of the Elution plant, which enables Kilimapesa to smelt and produce bullion on site.

Kilimapesa's first gold pour marks a significant milestone for both the company and Kenya as we continue to develop the country's first gold project ... into a profitable mining operation, Goldplat Chief Executive Officer Demetri Manolis said in a statement.

Goldplat targets an expansion of its resource base towards the 500,000 ounce mark and an increase in gold production towards 10,000 ounces per year, Manolis said.

The initial smelt produced 399 ounces. The company did not provide a current estimate of current reserves of the mine.

The first bar was sold to Rand Refinery Limited in South Africa.

Goldplat has assets in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Last fiscal year, the company reported total production of 28,185 ounces of gold in its annual report.

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