Predictive Discovery (PDI) has received an environmental compliance certificate from Guinea’s Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development, allowing the company to proceed with its Bankan Gold project. Estimated to contain 3.05 million ounces of gold, the deposit represents one of the most significant discoveries in West Africa in the past decade.
The approval follows the submission of a 1,767-page environmental and social impact assessment. In response to regulatory concerns, PDI agreed to relinquish exploration permits for areas overlapping the buffer zone of Upper Niger National Park (PNHN). Mining activities will instead be concentrated in what the company describes as a "peripheral zone," reducing direct environmental pressures on protected areas.
Despite the relocation of mining activities, environmental assessments highlight the risks posed to local wildlife. The region is home to a significant population of Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus), a critically endangered species that relies on nearby habitats, including the Mafou Forest conservation area, located approximately 18 kilometers from the mining site.
Exploration activities since 2020 have already displaced between seven and fifteen chimpanzees, with further disruptions expected as the project progresses. Additionally, long-term mining operations could impact groundwater levels and contribute to habitat degradation, underscoring the need for sustained environmental oversight.
Aboubacar Samoura, a senior official overseeing national parks and wildlife at the Ministry of the Environment, acknowledged the complexities of approving a large-scale mining project near a protected area. The ministry’s requirement for PDI to withdraw from the buffer zone reflects an effort to balance economic development with conservation priorities.
Following its environmental approval, PDI submitted a formal mining license application on January 31. If approved, production could begin as early as 2026, generating economic activity while necessitating ongoing monitoring of ecological impacts. The project’s progression underscores the broader challenge of developing Africa’s mineral resources without compromising critical biodiversity.
