Trafigura enters Ghana gold sector with Bogoso-Prestea deal

By Noel John and Maxwell Akalaare Adombila Reuters Thursday, April 9, 2026 https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/trafigura-signs-gold-offtake-pact-provides-debt-financing-ghana-mine-2026-04-09/ Global commodity trader Trafigura has signed a deal with Ghanaian mid-tier miner Heath Goldfields Ltd to buy 700,000 ounces of gold ore from the Bogoso–Prestea mine, the companies said in a statement t​oday. As part of the agreement, which Trafigura said was its first ​in Ghana's gold sector, the trading firm said it would provide $65 ⁠million in debt financing to support the restart of the mine's oxide ore ​operations. ... Dispatch continues below ... ... ADVERTISEMENT ... Buy metals at GoldMoney and enjoy international storage GoldMoney was established in 2001 by James and Geoff Turk and is safeguarding more than $1.7 billion in metals and currencies. Buy gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from GoldMoney over the Internet and store them in vaults in Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, taking advantage of GoldMoney's low storage rates, among the most competitive in the industry. GoldMoney also offers delivery of 100-gram and 1-kilogram gold bars and 1-kilogram silver bars. To learn more, please visit:  http://www.goldmoney.com/?gmrefcode=gata Trafigura would also take up the gold dore -- a semi-processed gold product -- produced at ​the Bogoso-Prestea processing plant, with deliveries expected to start later this year. Bogoso‑Prestea, an underground and surface gold mine in western Ghana, was previously owned by Golden Star Resources before a sale to ​London-based Future Global Resources led to its lease being canceled, after which the mine ​was placed on care and maintenance due to financial and operational challenges. Heath Goldfields, a Ghanaian‑owned company, ‌acquired ⁠the mine in September 2024 and completed the first gold pour in February, marking the restart of production. "Bogoso–Prestea is a producing asset with a strong operational team and LBMA compliance, and we look forward to applying our physical trading expertise and market ​access in support ​of a Ghanaian-owned ⁠operation of this quality," said Gonzalo De Olazaval, head of metals and minerals at Trafigura. The transaction underscores strong confidence in Ghana’s ​mining sector and in the capacity of an indigenous operator to ​execute at ⁠scale, Heath Goldfields Managing Director Patrick Appiah Mensah said in a separate statement. The deal was structured by pan‑African investment bank Verdant IMAP with legal advice from London-based Sullivan ⁠and Accra-based ​JLD & MB, he said. Ghana, Africa's top gold ​producer, has been pushing reforms to lift state revenues and expand local participation across the mining sector. * * * Support GATA by purchasing Stuart Englert's "Rigged" "Rigged" is a concise explanation of government's currency market rigging policy and extensively credits GATA's work exposing it. Ten percent of sales proceeds are contributed to GATA. Buy a copy for $14.99 through Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3xt6uw66 * * * Help keep GATA going: GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at: http://www.gata.org To contribute to GATA, please visit: http://www.gata.org/node/16 Donations of $500 or more will entitle the donor to a 1-ounce silver round commemorating GATA's work: https://www.gata.org/sites/default/files/GATA-silver-round-front.png