Africa-Press – Botswana. Karowe diamond mine is currently in the process of transitioning into underground mining to increase its lifespan.
The mine, which began commercial operations in 2012, will this year cease open-pit mining activities..
Karowe mine’s general manager, Mr Johane Mchive, said in a recent interview that the underground mine’s commercial production was scheduled for 2028.
“Between the ceasing of open pit operations and commercial underground production, the mine would rely on milling the surface stockpiles.”
Mr Mchive said the underground project, at a cost of US$683 million (about P9 billion), would increase the lifespan of the mine to 2040 and contribute to over US$4 billion (about P54 billion) in additional revenue.
The focus, he said was on sinking the two vertical shafts and various shaft stations. Significant progress has been made thus far, said the general manager. He said the completion of the shaft sinking, would be followed immediately by shaft equipping.
Mr Mchive stated that initial production from the underground would be from the high value Electrical Method/Petrographic Knocking from southern area of the mine material that had yielded all the great and big recoveries that Karowe became known for in the global diamond mining industry.
He said since inception in 2021 the underground project had largely been executed by locals, making minimum 75 per cent of the total workforce, and at peak, the locals accounted for 82 per cent of total workforce.
With the local underground skills being limited in the country, the company had expanded its training and skills development capacity to meet the current and future underground mining skills demand.
The company had been accredited as a mining training facility.
Mr Mchive remained optimistic on the future diamond market outlook, though the market outlook remains cautionary at this stage.
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