Gem Diamonds to meet production target

Boitshepo Majube | Thursday January 30, 2014 15:04

BOTSHEPO MAJUBE

Correspondent

em Diamonds Botswana is optimistic of meeting its production target at its Ghaghoo mine in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). The company has hit a kimberlite a month ahead of schedule and says this has improved interest from stakeholders.

'The kimberlite was hit at level zero which is 130m below the surface and this has improved interest among the stakeholders into the project as well as the team's ability to deliver on the project,' the company said.

Being the first underground mine to be developed in Botswana, Ghaghoo is expected to produce 720,000 tonnes per annum at 30 carats per 100 tonnes.

The production rate could increase depending on the market and economics.

The company has welcomed the new developments and viewed it as boosting the investor confidence that the mine will meet its target of starting production at Botswana's first underground diamond mine in June 2014.

General manager of Ghaghoo mine, Kavis Kario, celebrated the achievement of what he termed a 'super team' of young Batswana who are keen on delivering the project. 'Some of these people are the same men who dug the 473m tunnel using hand shovels and they are determined to see the first diamond being produced and we are indebted to them as they have shown unparalleled commitment to duty.

The beauty of this project is not just working in the difficult CKGR conditions, but pioneering an underground diamond mine using drilling and rock support methods that many of our team members have not used before.

'The first phase of the project entailed stripping and excavating a box cut to a depth of 25m on the loose Kalahari sand then excavating through the sand using an Open Face Tunnel Shield (OFTS),' the company said.

It explained that OFTS is equipped with a canopy to protect workers as they excavated the loose sand.

'In July last year, Redpath Mining, a mining construction company handed over the project to Gem Diamonds Botswana after constructing a 479m tunnel with an eight degree incline at the depth of 80m below the ground,' the company added.

Gem Diamonds Botswana said since the handover, the company has done a 684.3m development with 438.8m metres as extension of the underground tunnel.

The company's mining manager, Modise Gaoetswe, said their target is to advance the tunnel to 154m below the surface by end of February 2014 then develop production tunnels in preparation for production in June 2014. 'We have now started stockpiling kimberlite from Level Zero which will be used for commissioning the process plant in April 2014,' he said.

The company has hit a kimberlite a month ahead of schedule and says this has improved interest from stakeholders. 'The kimberlite was hit at level zero which is 130m below the surface and this has improved interest among the stakeholders into the project as well as the team's ability to deliver on the project,' the company said.

Being the first underground mine to be developed in Botswana, Ghaghoo is expected to produce 720,000 tonnes per annum at 30 carats per 100 tonnes. The production rate could increase depending on the market and economics. The company has welcomed the new developments and viewed it as boosting the investor confidence that the mine will meet its target of starting production at Botswana's first underground diamond mine in June 2014. General manager of Ghaghoo mine, Kavis Kario, celebrated the achievement of what he termed a 'super team' of young Batswana who are keen on delivering the project.

'Some of these people are the same men who dug the 473m tunnel using hand shovels and they are determined to see the first diamond being produced and we are indebted to them as they have shown unparalleled commitment to duty. The beauty of this project is not just working in the difficult CKGR conditions, but pioneering an underground diamond mine using drilling and rock support methods that many of our team members have not used before.'The first phase of the project entailed stripping and excavating a box cut to a depth of 25m on the loose Kalahari sand then excavating through the sand using an Open Face Tunnel Shield (OFTS),' the company said.

It explained that OFTS is equipped with a canopy to protect workers as they excavated the loose sand. 'In July last year, Redpath Mining, a mining construction company handed over the project to Gem Diamonds Botswana after constructing a 479m tunnel with an eight degree incline at the depth of 80m below the ground,' the company added.

Gem Diamonds Botswana said since the handover, the company has done a 684.3m development with 438.8m metres as extension of the underground tunnel. The company's mining manager, Modise Gaoetswe, said their target is to advance the tunnel to 154m below the surface by end of February 2014 then develop production tunnels in preparation for production in June 2014. 'We have now started stockpiling kimberlite from Level Zero which will be used for commissioning the process plant in April 2014,' he said.