Jwaneng diamond mine

Jwaneng diamond mine
Jwaneng diamond mine
Location
Jwaneng diamond mine
Location in Botswana
LocationNaledi River Valley, Kalahari Desert[1]
Country Botswana
Coordinates24°31′23″S 24°42′07″E / 24.52306°S 24.70194°E / -24.52306; 24.70194
Production
ProductsDiamonds
History
Opened1982
Owner
CompanyDebswana

The Jwaneng diamond mine is the richest diamond mine in the world,[2] and also the second largest in the world.[3] It is nicknamed "the Prince of Mines",[2] and is located in south-central Botswana about 170 kilometers (110 mi) southwest of the city of Gaborone.[4]

Jwaneng means "a place of gems",[5] and the Jwaneng mine means "where a small stone is found" in Setswana.[6] The mine is owned by Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the government of Botswana.[4] It commenced operations in 1982.[2]

The mine owns and operates the local Jwaneng Mine Hospital, Acacia Primary School, and Jwaneng Airport.[7][8][9] The mine maintains an ISO 14001 certificate for environmental compliance, being the first mine in Botswana to achieve this certification in 2000.[10]

History

Discovery and early exploration

In the early 1970s, extensive geological surveys by De Beers Exploration led to the identification of the Jwaneng deposit in February 1973,[11] and after 9 years of evaluation and construction it became fully operational in 1982.[2][11] In 2021, around 107 million tonnes of rock were mined.[6] In 2023, it produced 13.3 million carats of diamonds.[12]

Development and construction

Major expansions

Timeline of discovery

Year Activity Geologist(s) Discovery Note Reference
1962 Road reconnaissance Jim Gibson/Jim Platt Barren samples n/a [13]
1963 No activity
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969 Reconnaissance soil sampling Mike Whateley/Keith Huxham and others First kimberlite indicator material recoveries, confirmed by DRL [a]
1970 Detailed soil sampling Mike Whateley/Bruce Lynn Progressive kimberlite indicator material spatial distribution results n/a
1971 Detailed grid loaming
1972 Ground magnetics and gravity/drilling Peter Bickerstaff 2424D/K1 [b]
Detailed soil sampling/detailed grid loaming/ground magnetics/drilling Stuart Vercoe/Norman Lock 2424D/K2
1973
1974 Detailed grid loaming/ground magnetics/drilling/airborne magnetics Stuart Vercoe and others 2424KD/K3 and 2424KD/K4
1975 Detailed grid loaming/ground magnetics/drilling 2424D/K5 and 2424KD/K6
1976 2424D/K7
1977 2424D/K8

Geology

The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is situated within the Orapa Kimberlite Field.[14] In the mine lies the "Jwaneng pipe,"[15] a volcanic crater formed during the Permian period.[16] The mine consists of three kimberlite pipes.[17] Diamond-bearing ores are extracted from the vast pit and transported to processing facilities and manufacturing facilities.[18][19]

Economic impact

Employment

The mine employs more than 2,500 people as of 2024.[12] A major project aims to extend production at Jwaneng by creating around 4,500 jobs or more a year, and is expected to contribute more than US$25 billion to Botswana’s economy. This project also plans on increasing the mine's depth from 400 meters to 650 meters.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ DRL stands for Diamond Research Laboratory, De Beers Campus, Crown Mines, Johannesburg
  2. ^ 2424KD/KX refers to an ilmenite field.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Gap International 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Guest 2015.
  3. ^ Mala 2024.
  4. ^ a b Mining Technology 2024.
  5. ^ Benson 2021.
  6. ^ a b Debswana 2023a.
  7. ^ "Jwaneng & Orapa Mine Hospitals". Healthshare. 2021. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  8. ^ Debswana 2023b.
  9. ^ "Ministry of Works & Transport: Department of Civil Aviation: Jwaneng Aerodrome". Ministry of Works and Transport (Botswana). Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  10. ^ "EXCURSIONS: Debswana Mine, Botswana Meat Commission, and Culture Day" (PDF). Parliament of Botswana. 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  11. ^ a b Lock 2019, p. 155.
  12. ^ a b c DTC 2024.
  13. ^ Lock 2019, p. 159.
  14. ^ De Beers 2022.
  15. ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine tour - excerpts". International Diamond Manufacturers Association. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  16. ^ Schlüter 2006, p. 48.
  17. ^ NASA Earth Observatory 2008.
  18. ^ Eligon & Silva 2023.
  19. ^ Davies 2023.

Sources

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