The first significant diamond find in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was in 1912 in the Tshikapa region. The Belgian Société Minière du Beceka, later known as Sibecka, started to mine these deposits in 1919. Following independence, President Joseph Mobutu began to acquire mining right shares for the state until they became fully government owned in 1973.
Artisanal mining (small-scale digging by individuals, families and communities using basic equipment, such as sieves and pans) has prevailed in the DRC, encouraged by new laws in 1981 that forced the Société Minière du Bakwanga (MIBA) to open up the majority of its yields to artisanal diggers. Companies mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo include SouthernEra Diamonds and BHP Billiton.
Companies
1. Brc Diamondcore
BRC DiamondCore is an African-focused diamond explorer with projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Company works in a systematic and responsible manner to discover, assess and develop diamond resources.
Tshikapa
Through option agreements with Candore, ACACIA and Kwango Mining SPRL, BRC DiamondCore holds PRs in Kasai-Occidental province, within the highly prospective "Kimberlite Emplacement Corridor" which extends northeastward from the rich Kimberlite fields of the Lunda Norte Province in Angola.
The Company believes that the Tshikapa area holds the greatest promise for finding economic diamond-bearing kimberlites in the DRC.
The area has produced well over 100 million carats of diamonds and the results from the stream samples taken in the area indicate that abundant kimberlitic indicators are present. It has further been established that these are not abraded and hence are not far removed from their primary source(s).
In addition, the chemistry of these minerals suggests that they have been derived from mineralized kimberlites.
The Company has covered almost 9,000 km² in this highly prospective area around Tshikapa with detailed stream sampling and airborne geophysics. It has retained 2,400 km² of the most prospective ground with very encouraging geophysical and sampling targets. The Company has applied its aggressive approach to turn over ground and only retain those areas that are likely to host kimberlites.
Northern DRC (Rio Tinto Joint-Venture)
Northern DRC (Equateur and Oriental Provinces) and the Central African Republic (the "CAR") are known for their high quality alluvial diamonds. Geological studies suggest that the diamonds in the CAR have been derived from the northern DRC and since there are no known kimberlites in the northern DRC, it makes this area one of the last highly prospective regions in the world for diamond exploration.
The company took out an area of almost 28,000 km² either through its own applications or through option contracts with several partners.
This land package forms part of a joint venture with Rio Tinto which is funding the exploration program in order to earn into any discoveries both for diamonds over all the licences and for iron ore over selected licences.
Since this part of the Congo Basin is covered by tropical forests, the region has never been subjected to modern exploration. Hence the strategy of turning ground over fast and retaining the best pieces applies. Work in the form of regional stream sampling for heavy minerals started in November 2007 and to date some 15,000 km² have been covered.
The first results, all from the Equateur Province, have identified several diffused diamond/chromite anomalies that have been earmarked for further work.
Exploration Programme
Wamba and Candore East Projects
The Company has initiated two additional exploration projects near Tshikapa.
Several licences were taken out in the Wamba drainage basin, located between the Kwango River and Tshikapa, where diamonds and kimberlitic minerals have been reported. Stream sampling has confirmed confined kimberlite targets and once all the microprobe results have been received a programme of airborne geophysics over selected areas will be initiated.
2. Namakwa Diamonds
Namakwa Diamonds is an integrated diamond resource group with:
- a flagship kimberlite mining project in Lesotho, aluvial and kimberlitic operations in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo and marine concessions in Namibia, which together provide an independently verified resource base of more than 25 million carats; and
- Diamond trading and manufacturing division with operations in South Africa, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Israel.
Tshikapa Triangle (alluvials and kimberlites)
Recent acquisitions of alluvial and kimberlitic concessions in the DRC have increased Namakwa Diamonds’ licence area in the DRC to approximately 5,000 km2.
The company will consolidate the recently acquired and existing mining assets and increase production by exploiting the rivers and their adjacent flats. Extensive dredge sampling indicates that grades recovered from these rivers are substantially higher than the associated terrace deposits currently being exploited.
A limited early-stage kimberlite exploration campaign is being run concurrently with this revised alluvial development and production programme.
With the appointment of an experienced technical mining team, familiar with working in the DRC, the Company is poised to expand operations rapidly and to increase output through a phased approach.
The DRC resource base of approximately 6.1 million carats of Indicated and Inferred Resources represents 24% of the Group’s resources in carat terms (Venmyn, 28 February 2010).
Mine Profile
- Short term alluvial production and kimberlite opportunities in a project area of 5,000km2 primed for consolidation
- Focus on river diversions in the Tshikapa Triangle
- Extensive dredge sampling (>30,000cts) and trail mining results (>44,000cts) show an increasing grade in the rivers.
3. IGE
IGE’s primary focus is diamond exploration and production. IGE’s resource base consists of some 8.4 million carats independently verified and an additional estimated resource base of 5.2 million carats based on IGE estimates. Its diamond concessions cover more than 10,000 square kilometres in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa.
Tshikapa Diamond Field
The Tshikapa Diamond Field is situated within the West Kasai Region of the DRC in the Kasai-Occidental Province, within the Congo-Angola diamond province. The Tshikapa Diamond Field lies directly downstream of the alluvial diamond fields of the Lucapa Graben in northeastern Angola.
IGE has two exploitation PEPM permits and two exploration-PR permits in the Tshikapa Diamond Field which are also currently being converted to exploitation permits.
Longatshimo River
The Longatshimo Project is situated within the Tshikapa Diamond Field of the West Kasai Region of the DRC in the Kasai-Occidental Province, within the Congo-Angola diamond province. The Tshikapa Diamond Field lies directly downstream of the alluvial diamond fields of the Lucapa Graben in northeastern Angola.
IGE has seven exploration and small mine permits in the Tshikapa Diamond Field of the Kasai Occidental Province. The Longatshimo Project comprises three permits of which two are exploitation permits (PEPM) and the third is in the final stage of being converted to an exploitation permit.
Technical approval for this permit transformation has been received and is awaiting signature by the Minister of Mines. All permits straddle the Longatshimo River.
4. Societé minière de Bakwanga (MIBA)
MIBA is a diamond mining company, and its operations are centered near Mbuji Mayi, in Kasai-oriental Province in south central DRC.
Approximately 80% of MIBA's stock is owned by the Congolese government, with 20% owned by former Umicore subsidiary Sibeka, which in turn is owned by Mwana Africa plc, which operates the mines.
The majority of the population in Congo believed that the company's money is being embezzled by the head of the Congolese government Joseph Kabila and his collaborators.
Between 2002 and 2006, MIBA produced an average of 6 million carats of diamonds per year. Operational difficulties reduced this production to an annual output of less than 1 million carats over the last two years.
MIBA also had mining and exploration titles covering an area in excess of 45,000 km² and was currently looking for joint ventures with major diamond producers.
Country Output
DRC produced 21.3 million carats in 2009 down from 33.4 million carats in 2008.
