Gold mining permit in Roura: open competitive bidding

The Prefect of French Guiana has published in the Official Journal of the French Republic (JORF No. 0210 of September 9, 2026, notice No. 03660) a notice of competitive bidding for the granting of a mining research authorization (ARM) for gold, known as “Crique Jean Crique Ricard.” The request comes from SAS A.A Minière, which is seeking a permit for 297 hectares in the commune of Roura, French Guiana.

Any interested company may submit a competing application within one month from the date of publication of the notice. The procedure is governed by the mining code and Decree No. 2025-853 of August 27, 2025, containing various provisions regarding overseas mining.

The Request from SAS A.A Minière

SAS A.A Minière, identified by SIREN number 103226940 and located at Résidence Eden Park, 15, impasse Kwata, 97351 Matoury, submitted its application on August 4, 2026. It is requesting a mining research authorization for gold for a duration of 2 years, over a perimeter of approximately 297 hectares located within the territory of the commune of Roura.

The perimeter is delimited by 98 vertices, the geographical coordinates of which are expressed in UTM 22N in the RGFG 95 geodetic system. The application and associated mapping documents are available for consultation by appointment.

Competitive Bidding Procedures

In application of Article L. 621-22 of the mining code and Article 68 of Decree No. 2025-853 of August 27, 2025, the request is subject to a competitive bidding process for a period of one month starting from the publication of the notice in the JORF.

• Consultation of the file: by appointment at the General Directorate of Territories and the Sea (DGTM), risk prevention and extractive industries service, extractive industries unit.
• Address: State Services in French Guiana, DGTM/DATTE/SPRIE/extractive industries unit, rue Carlos-Finley, impasse Buzaré, 97300 Cayenne.
• Submission of competing applications: addressed to the Prefect of French Guiana within one month, by email to dgtm-datte-prie-uie@guyane.gouv.fr.

Selection Criteria

Competing applications must be presented under the same conditions as the initial request. The selection will be based notably on three criteria:

• Technical and financial capacities: seniority of the company, experience of the applicant, findings of the mining police, project financing.
• Interest of the prospecting: quality of the knowledge regarding the geological interest of the area.
• Quality of the work program: surface area of the prospecting program impacted by the competitive bidding.

Scope of the Notice

This notice illustrates the dynamics of gold mining permit applications in French Guiana, where several competitive bidding processes have been published in recent weeks in the communes of Roura, Régina, and Saint-Élie. The outcome of this procedure will determine whether SAS A.A Minière or a competitor will obtain the right to prospect for gold within this 297-hectare perimeter, a major economic and environmental stake for the Guianese territory.

Official source: Notice No. 03660, JORF No. 0210 of September 9, 2026, “Notice of competitive bidding — Application for mining research authorization (ARM) for gold known as ‘Crique Jean Crique Ricard’”, published by the Prefect of French Guiana.