De Beers Plans To Reopen Damtshaa Mine In Botswana

“it is the nature of the resource; diamonds are finite”

DE BEERS PLANS TO REOPEN DAMTSHAA MINE IN BOTSWANA

Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the government of Botswana, is planning to revive mining operations at the Damtshaa mine, which was put on care and maintenance in 2015, Rough & Polished.

The mine was closed “to reduce production levels in Botswana when rough demand tumbled in late 2015”.

According to the same report, Debswana plans for the mine to reach full production by January 2018. In 2013, the mine produced 264,000 carats; in 2014 it produced 303,000 carats, and in 2015, the last year of operation, it produced 221,000 carats.

In July, it was reported that Debswana will extend the lifespan of the Jwaneng diamond mine beyond 2024. The project, called Cut 9, will include a $3-billion expansion project of the mine, which will “uncover 100-million carats of diamond and extend the life of the mine to 2024”.

REPORT: NAMDEB TO CLOSE 4 DIAMONDS MINES BY 2022

A union official, cited by a Namibian paper and quoted by IDEX Online, is claiming that Namdeb, the diamond mining company jointly owned by the Namibian government and De Beers, plans to close four mines by 2022.

The Namibian Sun quoted Mineworkers Union of Namibia Oranjemund branch chairperson Mbidhi Shavuka. He said that the union will work diligently to keep the miners at their jobs, but that he understands that “it is the nature of the resource; diamonds are finite”.

According to Shavuka, the mines to be shut down are Elizabeth Bay Mine at the end of next year, Daberas at the end of 2019, Sendelingsdrift in 2020 and the main one, Southern Coastal, in 2022. Namdeb did not comment on the report.