Diamond - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

BlueRock Diamonds' Kareevlei upgrade 'near completion' 1

UK-based BlueRock Diamonds said a planned expansion of processing facilities at its Kareevlei Diamond project in South Africa, which aims to raise capacity by 75%, will be complete early next year. The crushing circuit at the mine, located in the country’s Kimberley region, will be completed by the end of 2020 and the expansion commissioned in early January 2021, said the company. The expansion will help rise processing guidance for the first quarter to 130,000 tonnes, a 75% increase on the first quarter last year of 74,000 tonnes. BlueRock executive chairman, Mike Houston… Read More Here

Diamond Covid-19

De Beers extends 10-yr Botswana sales deal on coronavirus delays

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020 admin

LONDON – Diamond miner De Beers said on Tuesday it had extended a ten-year sales agreement with Botswana by a year due to logistical challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, allowing the two sides more time to negotiate. The Anglo American unit, which is 15% owned by the government of Botswana, saw sales plummet during the peak of the pandemic, forcing it to restructure its business. The 2011 rough diamond sales agreement, in which the jointly-owned Debswana sells all its output to De Beers, was originally due to expire at… Read More Here

Diamond Mining technology

De Beers taps Sandvik expertise for Venetia underground diamond mine transition

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 admin

De Beers Group has ordered 19 units of high-tech equipment from Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology for its Venetia Underground Project (VUP), in South Africa. According to Simon Andrews, Managing Director at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology Southern Africa, the company will supply a range of intelligent equipment including LHDs, ADTs, twin-boom drill rigs, roof bolters and cable bolters. Amongst the advanced models are the 17 t LH517i and 21 t LH621i LHDs, 51 t TH551i ADTs, DD422i face drills, DS412i roof bolters and DS422i cable bolters. Partnership will be… Read More Here

Diamond

Lucapa finds another +100ct diamond at Lesotho mine

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020 admin

Australia’s Lucapa Diamond (ASX:LOM) said on Thursday it had recovered a 101-carat white diamond from its 70%-owned Mothae mine in Lesotho, Africa. The company said the recovery of the D-colour, Type IIa white diamond was yet a further reinforcement of the quality and capacity of the asset. With the find, diamonds over 100 carats unearthed at the southern lobe of the mine totalled four. THE MOTHAE MINE TURNED OUT TO HOLD 280% MORE RESOURCES THAN ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED “The recovery of this exceptional 101 carat diamond brings a positive end to 2020 for Mothae and… Read More Here

Diamond

Metalex to acquire diamond project in South Africa

December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 admin

TSXV-listed Metalex Ventures has agreed to acquire a promising diamond exploration project in South Africa’s Northern Cape. Metalex has reached an agreement to acquire an interest in the 3 373 ha Viljoenshof prospecting license from Invest in Property 126 (IIP). The license area, within 30 km of the famous Kimberley Diamond Mines, is last known to have been explored by De Beers in the 1960’s, with two kimberlite pipes, two kimberlite dykes and two kimberlites of unknown type discovered. De Beers unsuccessfully applied for the exploration license over this area again in… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Diamond

DRC exported 4,174 million carats of diamonds worth USD 42.9 million in the first half of 2020

November 19, 2020November 19, 2020 admin

The Democratic Republic of the Congo exported in the first half of 2020 a volume of 3 million 82,184.13 carats of diamonds to Belgium, including 2,864,535.28 carats of industrial diamonds and 217,648.85 carats of jewelery diamonds for a total value of 32 million 68,154 USD, or 74% of diamond exports, according to data from the Ministry of Mines. During the same period, the DRC exported to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates 950,513.83 carats of diamonds including 783,273.24 carats of industrial diamonds and 167,240.59 carats of jewelery diamonds for a… Read More Here

Diamond

De Beers sales rise 12% as diamond demand recovers

November 18, 2020November 18, 2020 admin

De Beers Group announced on Wednesday that sales of rough diamonds rose more than 12% in the latest sales cycle, as demand improves on the back of easing covid-19 restrictions and ahead of the holyday season. Sales of $450 million between Nov. 2 and Nov. 16 was higher than the $400 million a year earlier, but declined from the $467 million in the eighth cycle between Sept. 21 and Oct. 9. “Steady demand for rough diamonds continued in the ninth sales cycle of the year, reflecting stable consumer demand for diamond jewellery… Read More Here

Diamond International

Lucara strikes again with 998-carat diamond at Karowe

November 15, 2020November 15, 2020 arnbethnic

Canada’s Lucara Diamond (TSX:LUC) has found yet another massive stone at its prolific Karowe mine in Botswana, the same asset that last year yielded the 1,758-carat Sewelô (“rare find”), the second-largest diamond ever mined. The 998-carat unbroken white diamond, measuring 67x49x 45mm is one of the five largest stones ever mined. It won’t remain as such — Lucara said the diamond was clivage, meaning it would have to be split before further processing into polished gems. “Lucara is extremely pleased with the continued recovery of large high quality diamonds from the South Lobe of the Karowe mine,” chief… Read More Here

Diamond Covid-19 International

Debswana to close diamond mine on weak demand says the union leader

November 8, 2020November 9, 2020 arnbethnic

Debswana Mining Company, equally owned by De Beers and the Botswana government, will close a diamond mine in the country as weak demand and trading disruption from the pandemic make the mining of lower value diamonds unviable, a union leader told Reuters on Friday. Debswana, among the world’s largest diamond producers, plans to close its Damtshaa mine in 2021 for a period of three years, said Joseph Tsimako, President of the Botswana Mine Workers Union. “The mine produces lower quality diamonds which makes it expensive to dig during this period when the market is depressed,” Tsimako said. The mine is one of four operated… Read More Here

Diamond

DRC’s Deputy Éric Ngalula addressed an oral question to the CEO of CEEC on the sale of SACIM diamonds

November 8, 2020November 8, 2020 arnbethnic

The elected representative of Kasai-Oriental said he was concerned about the extreme poverty that reigns in his province which, however, abounds in its basement of potentialities and wealth whose benefits, especially rough diamonds, are in the process of their sale. managed by the company SACIM SARL as well as the Chinese company AFEEC, which enjoy an equal participation of the Congolese State but which are struggling to honor their commitments to the Congolese State in execution of the agreement concluded on March 18, 2013 . Regarding the signed agreement, he… Read More Here