Full-scale mining operations at the Luaxe diamond project in the Eastern Lunda Sul province are “expected soon”, according to Alrosa.
Company director-general in Angola Alexander Gorlov told a diamond conference in Saurimo that they had completed exploration work at the project.
Work at the project is currently in the experimental production stage
An official from Endiama Ana Feijo told the same conference that they had invested $200 million in diamond exploration at the project, which covers 1,195 square kilometres.
Angola’s mineral resources and petroleum minister Diamantino Azevedo previously said they are committed to transforming the Luaxe deposit in 2022 into a structured and organised conventional mine with an output of about 5.7 million carats in 2023, which is more than half of the country’s 2020 output.
Angola produced about 8 million carats last year down from 9.4 million carats in 2019 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Alrosa and Catoca discovered the Luaxe pipe in 2013.
Catoca, in which Alrosa owns 41%, currently holds a 50.5% stake in Luaxe. Endiama and Alrosa each also hold another 8% in Luaxe.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau in Saurimo, Angola, Rough&Polished
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