Firestone Diamonds announced the recovery of a 215-carat rough diamond from its Liqhobong mine in Lesotho, marking the largest high-quality stone found at the deposit to date. The company intends to offer the diamond through a competitive bidding tender, following viewings in Antwerp and Dubai. Firestone holds a 75% stake in Liqhobong, with the remaining 25% owned by the Lesotho government. After experiencing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Firestone resumed operations in October 2022.
The upcoming Technical and Scientific Days of the Mining Workers’ Day, running from April 15th to 27th, will showcase significant milestones in Angolan mining, including the inauguration of the Samiluana diamond project in Lucapa and the Cácata Phosphate Exploration Project in Cabinda. The Samiluana diamond project, located in Lunda-Norte province, boasts an estimated production capacity of 12 thousand carats per month and is set to create 762 jobs. With a 33 percent stake from Samiluana
Angolan oil company ACREP’s shares are now listed on the “MROV” Over-the-Counter Market of the Angolan Debt and Stock Exchange (BODIVA) following a recent bidding process. The auction determined demand for 24 percent of the 37 percent stake held by Banco de Poupança e Crédito (BPC) in the private oil and gas firm. The Market for Registration of Transactions on Securities (MROV) is dedicated to recording previously conducted but unsettled transactions of securities not traded
Botswana Diamonds’ Chairperson, John Teeling, has highlighted several positive developments achieved by the company in 2023. These include the discovery of a high-grade anomaly similar in size to the KX36 kimberlite pipe, progress on Thorny River mining permits in South Africa, and renewed interest in the Ghaghoo diamond mine in Botswana. Despite a depressed diamond market in 2023, Teeling remains optimistic about the long-term outlook for mined diamonds. He acknowledges the growing market for lab-grown
The Angolan Government is taking decisive steps to criminalize illegal diamond mining, a practice involving an estimated 1.3 million “garimpeiros” (illegal diamond explorers), mostly foreigners. This move comes amidst concerns over the harmful impacts of illegal mining on the environment, public health, and national security. Presenting the proposal for a Law to Combat Illegal Mining Activity in parliament, Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, Jânio Correia Vitor, emphasized the need for more efficient mechanisms to
The Angolan government has raised concerns about illegal diamond exploration, highlighting the potential risk it poses to the commercialization of Angolan diamonds in Europe and America. The need to criminalize “garimpeiros” (artisanal miners) has been emphasized to address this issue. Jânio Correia Vitor, the Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, stressed the international association of illegal diamond mining with human rights violations, warning of potential repercussions on diamond sales abroad. He emphasized the importance of
The Secretary of State for Energy, Arlindo Carlos, announced that the Saurimo photovoltaic plant, located in Lunda-Sul, Angola, will commence operations later this month, providing a capacity of 26.13 megawatts of clean energy. Constructed on a sprawling 65-hectare site, the project is a collaboration between the South African company ‘Sun África’ and ‘MCA Angola’ and comes with a price tag of 38.839 million euros. It boasts a staggering array of 44,850 solar panels, poised to
Several trade groups have come together to appeal to the Group of Seven (G7), urging them to reassess their plan to ban Russian diamonds, citing potential detrimental effects on the industry. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) confirmed earlier this month that sanctions on diamonds of 1 carat and above would commence on March 1. However, no guidance was provided on the implementation process or the necessary procedures for the trade. The
Sociedade Mineira de Catoca (SMC) has unveiled ambitious plans for diamond production and investment in 2024, aiming to recover approximately 6.9 million carats while investing $69.282 million. Porfírio Soares, a company representative, shared these insights during the presentation of the company’s 2023 activities. The investment focus for 2024 includes enhancing prospecting activities to increase reserves, upgrading equipment fleets, and improving treatment centers to optimize work quality and reduce downtime. Furthermore, SMC anticipates commercial success, projecting
Namibia’s groundbreaking Hyphen green hydrogen project received a significant boost last week as the German government extended its support. Enertrag, a joint venture between Hyphen Hydrogen Energy and Nicholas Holdings, is at the forefront of this venture. The German government has designated the Hyphen project as a strategic foreign project, making it eligible for targeted support, indicative of its global strategic importance. This initiative marks a crucial step towards establishing a large-scale green hydrogen industry
