Debswana to complete Jwaneng Cut-8 project in June

Debswana, a 50/50 joint venture partnership between the government of Botswana and De Beers said that the Jwaneng Cut-8 project will be completed in June this year, transforming the mine into one of the world’s few “super-pit” mines.
Company chief executive Jim Gowans said that the project had progressed throughout 2011, moving 28 million tonnes of waste material.
Cut-8 was expected to extend the life of Jwaneng to at least 2025, yielding 100 million carats.
Meanwhile, Gowans said that Debswana produced 22.9 million carats in 2011, an increase of 0.7 million carats when compared to 22.2 million carats recorded in 2010.
The company operates the Orapa, Letlhakane, Jwaneng and Damtshaa diamond mines.
He said Orapa produced 11.2 million carats during the period under review, while Jwaneng recorded an output of 10.7 million carats followed by Letlhakane, which produced 1 million carats.
No production was recorded at Damtshaa as it was still closed.
Gowans said that production was, however, hampered due to a number of factors, including a maintenance backlog at Jwaneng Mine incurred during the global recession in 2008.
“As global demand cooled in the last two months of 2011, catch-up maintenance plans were implemented to address this backlog, which will continue into 2012,” he said.

Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished