Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited is targeting 70 kilogrammes of gold production by the end of October 2026 following a nine-month shutdown, as the state-owned company works to restore operations and improve processing efficiency.
The company has resumed production, with a target of processing 850 tonnes of material daily, according to Senior Plant Manager for Processing, Reginald Soweh.
“We are looking at production of 850 tons per day, by which we expect to make a target of 70 kilograms of gold at the end of the month,” he said.
Management is also seeking to improve gold recovery rates from about 75 per cent previously to 80.0%, with a longer-term target of exceeding 90.0%.
The resumption follows months of inactivity during which the company undertook maintenance works on its processing plant and addressed concerns over the capacity of its existing tailings dam.
New tailings dam critical to sustained production
The company is constructing a second tailings dam to receive waste generated during gold processing.
According to the company’s Public Relations Officer, Ebenezer Essien, the shutdown was partly necessitated by the need to maintain the existing facility, which was approaching capacity, while undertaking repairs and maintenance on the processing plant.
The existing dam requires careful monitoring because waste from gold processing contains chemicals that could pose risks to the environment if improperly contained.
Mr Essien said the Environmental Protection Authority and the Minerals Commission had engaged the company over the facility and granted it approximately three months to continue depositing waste in the existing dam while work on the replacement facility is completed.
Management says the new dam is about 80 per cent complete.
The Managing Director of Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited, Alhaji Ishaq Dauda, said the project was estimated to cost US$5 million and was being financed internally.
“The dam is approximately five million dollars, and we are funding it internally,” he said.
A company press release dated October 7, 2026, indicated that construction was expected to be completed by the end of November, subject to the successful completion of the remaining works.
The completion of the facility is expected to support continued operations, although its readiness to receive processing waste will be important in determining whether production can proceed without interruption.
Financial pressure and employment prospects
The prolonged shutdown also raised concerns about the company’s ability to meet its financial obligations without generating income from production.
The Western Regional Minister Joseph Nelson, who visited the facility with the Member of Parliament for Prestea Huni-Valley, Wisdom Cudjoe, and the Municipal Chief Executive, Dr Mathew Ayeh, said the shutdown had been a concern because the company still had obligations to meet.
“For any company, it’s not healthy. I mean, you are not generating any income, and yet the company is expected to, you know, look after its staff and all other obligations that will require funds,” he said.
Mr Essien, however, said workers continued to receive their salaries during the period when production was suspended, with no salary arrears arising from the shutdown, according to management.
The company also says it has engaged about 150 young people from surrounding communities as graduate trainees and casual workers. Management expects further expansion to create additional employment opportunities.
The Regional Minister has urged management to sustain the recovery and ensure that the company’s operations translate into employment and wider economic benefits for Prestea and surrounding communities.
The immediate test for Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited will be whether it can meet its production target, complete the new tailings dam and maintain uninterrupted operations.
The company has not yet provided a verified figure for the financial cost of the nine-month shutdown.