Abstract:
Underground mining at Prestea has been carried out for the past 100 years and has resulted in
the development of a significant underground infrastructure. However, due to lack of capital
investment in the 1980’s and 1990’s combined with low gold prices during the late 1990’s,
the operational capabilities of the underground suffered resulting in closure of the operation
in 2002 and it being placed on care & maintenance. Since becoming involved with Prestea
Underground in 2002, Golden Star Resources has invested approximately $43M in
exploration, evaluation, and care and maintenance of the property.
Key issues that confront the Prestea underground include the condition of the Central and
Bondaye Shafts, age of the primary mine infrastructure and the fact that much of the known
reserves have been depleted. The current approach to re-starting the operation involves
returning the shafts to safe and operable conditions and initiating a program of concentrated
rehabilitation and development activities necessary to support a small but efficient mining
operation.
Another major challenge involves the socio-economic impacts to the catchment communities
of Prestea. With over a century of mining history, the people of Prestea and its environs have
high expectations of improvements in both their social and economic well being that would
result from re-starting the mine.
