The government of Ghana has officially approved the grant of the Damang Gold Mine lease to Engineers and Planners Limited (E&P), confirming the wholly Ghanaian-owned firm as the incoming operator of one of the country’s most significant gold assets.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah announced the decision on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, following a competitive tender conducted by the Minerals Commission under Regulation 261 of the Minerals and Mining (Licensing) Regulations, 2012 (LI 2176). The minister upheld the Tender Committee’s recommendation and directed the Minerals Commission to take all regulatory steps necessary to formalise the award.
Four companies submitted bids ahead of the March 31, 2026 deadline. E&P demonstrated access to $505 million in financing, meeting the government’s minimum funding threshold of $500 million, and scored strongly on technical experience, equipment, safety, and local content.
Of the four bidders, only E&P and Heath Goldfields Limited passed the mandatory initial screening. Heath Goldfields subsequently failed to attain the required minimum technical score, leaving E&P as the sole qualifying finalist.
The award comes ten days before Gold Fields is due to formally transfer operational control of the mine. The South African miner has confirmed the handover will proceed as scheduled on April 18, 2026, with a government-appointed transition team set to assume interim control pending formalisation of the new operator arrangement.
E&P has maintained a significant operational footprint at Damang for decades. Damang has a workforce exceeding 2,000, and the minister has assured that no layoffs will occur during the transition, citing direct instructions from President John Dramani Mahama to safeguard all employment.
A feasibility study submitted by Gold Fields to the Minerals Commission in December 2025 found the mine could sustain operations for approximately nine more years, with projected annual output of between 100,000 and 150,000 ounces of gold and an estimated capital requirement of around $600 million.
The Minerals Commission has been instructed to proceed immediately with the steps required to implement the decision.
