Anhui Congo Mining Investment Company (SACIM) has emerged as the dominant producer of industrial diamonds in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 97% of the country’s total output. According to statistics released by the Technical Unit for Coordination and Mining Programming (CTCPM), a department under the Ministry of Mines, SACIM produced 334,505.81 carats out of a national total of 344,049.44 carats between January and March 2025. The remaining
Botswana President Duma Boko has announced the planned termination of over 1,000 workers at Debswana, the country’s joint venture with diamond giant De Beers, citing the ongoing global downturn in the diamond market. Speaking recently to civil servants, Boko attributed the decision to declining demand and sustained economic pressure across the diamond industry. However, the Botswana Mine Workers Union (BMWU) strongly condemned the announcement, criticizing the government for bypassing proper consultation processes. In a formal
Lucapa Diamond Company has entered voluntary administration as it seeks to restructure its capital and explore a potential sale of the business. The company announced on Friday that administrators from advisory firm KordaMentha will conduct an urgent assessment of Lucapa’s operations and assets, which include Brooking Diamonds, Heartland Diamonds, and Australian Natural Diamonds. Lucapa’s portfolio spans both Africa and Australia, with key assets such as the Lulo mine in Angola, the Merlin project in Australia—previously
AXIAN Energy has commenced construction of the NEA Kolda project, a large-scale solar and battery storage facility aimed at advancing Senegal’s renewable energy objectives. Launched on May 22 in the southern Kolda region, the hybrid plant will generate 60 megawatts of solar power and store up to 72 megawatt-hours of energy. Once operational, it is expected to supply clean electricity to more than 25,000 households, benefiting nearly 235,000 people. AXIAN positions the project as part
The Dangote Petrochemical Refinery is set to import over five million barrels of crude oil in July 2025, primarily sourced from the United States, according to Reuters. The refinery has contracted approximately 161,000 barrels per day (bpd) of U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for the month, although the final volume could increase if additional contracts are signed. This follows a record-breaking June, when the refinery imported around 300,000 bpd of WTI crude—the highest in
Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has announced plans to invest $15 billion over the next five years in developing oil fields onshore and in the shallow waters of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The Nigerian-owned energy consortium recently acquired oil assets previously managed by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), following Shell UK’s exit from onshore operations in the region. The announcement was made by Greg Akhibi, Head of Supply Chain at Renaissance Africa Energy, on behalf of
Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) and Debswana Diamond Company have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to collaborate on the use of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)—a move that supports Botswana’s push toward a more sustainable energy future. Debswana, jointly owned by the Government of Botswana and De Beers Group, operates four diamond mines across the country: Orapa, Letlhakane, Damtshaa, and Jwaneng. This partnership will enable Debswana to access and demonstrate its use of renewable electricity, sourced
London-listed Pensana has secured a fresh £2-million in funding, with £1-million coming from major institutional shareholder M&G Investment Management, and an additional £1-million from other strategic investors. This new investment follows a recent $25-million injection by the Angolan sovereign wealth fund, Fundo Soberano de Angola, into Ozango Minerais, Pensana’s 84%-owned subsidiary. The funding has enabled the commencement of main construction works at the Longonjo rare earths project in Angola. Pensana holds an 84% interest in
Italian oil major Eni, global energy trading firm Vitol, and Ghana’s state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) have launched drilling operations for the Sankofa East 1X Side Track 2 well, located offshore Ghana. This new phase is part of efforts to sustain output from the Sankofa field and strengthen Ghana’s domestic energy supply. Drilling is underway near the John Agyekum Kufuor FPSO and forms part of the ongoing development of the Offshore Cape Three Points
TotalEnergies is preparing to seek approval from the Mozambican government to lift the force majeure on its $20 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, with plans to resume construction by mid-2025, according to a report by Reuters. The project, which has been on hold since 2021 due to insurgent violence in the Cabo Delgado region, includes the development of the Golfinho and Atum gas fields in Offshore Area 1, along with the construction of a
