Ghana is looking to grant five licences for companies to mine gold in forest reserves, partly because these areas have already been badly damaged, and it has set conditions for awarding the permits, the mines minister said. The five companies being considered are the world's largest gold miner Newmont NEM.N Mining Corp MGC.AX , Ghana's Ashanti Goldfields AGC.GH ASL.N , Canada's Birim Goldfields BGI.TO , Satellite/Bogosu Gold and Australia's Red Back RBK.AX .