De Beers Looking at Greenland’s Marine Diamonds

                              

De Beers has begun investigating Greenland’s potential as a source of high-value marine diamonds.

The miner commissioned a government agency to carry out a survey into diamond deposits, which are “known to be present” near the coast in the west of the Arctic island, according to an environmental assessment report by De Beers.

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) — part of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities — carried out the eight-day research in late September. GEUS set up and ran the survey, with De Beers requesting to extend it and participate in it, a spokesperson for the miner told Rapaport News Wednesday.

The purpose of the “small-scale, early-stage research” was to understand the region’s topography, he added, noting that it was unclear whether the location lent itself to concentrated sediments.

“De Beers Marine (DBM) would like to determine whether the offshore environment is conducive to the formation of secondary diamond deposits,” the environmental report said. “In order to do this, high-resolution geophysical data is required.”

Marine diamonds are generally of high quality, because only the best stones survive the impact of being washed around by water. De Beers currently mines marine diamonds off the coast of Namibia; the country’s 2020 rough production had a value of $465 per carat, one of the highest in the world, according to Kimberley Process data. The company is not carrying out similar surveys anywhere else, the spokesperson confirmed.

De Beers also operates land-based mining in Botswana, South Africa and Canada.

Source: DCLA

De Beers Looking at Greenland’s Marine Diamonds

                              

De Beers has begun investigating Greenland’s potential as a source of high-value marine diamonds.

The miner commissioned a government agency to carry out a survey into diamond deposits, which are “known to be present” near the coast in the west of the Arctic island, according to an environmental assessment report by De Beers.

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) — part of the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities — carried out the eight-day research in late September. GEUS set up and ran the survey, with De Beers requesting to extend it and participate in it, a spokesperson for the miner told Rapaport News Wednesday.

The purpose of the “small-scale, early-stage research” was to understand the region’s topography, he added, noting that it was unclear whether the location lent itself to concentrated sediments.

“De Beers Marine (DBM) would like to determine whether the offshore environment is conducive to the formation of secondary diamond deposits,” the environmental report said. “In order to do this, high-resolution geophysical data is required.”

Marine diamonds are generally of high quality, because only the best stones survive the impact of being washed around by water. De Beers currently mines marine diamonds off the coast of Namibia; the country’s 2020 rough production had a value of $465 per carat, one of the highest in the world, according to Kimberley Process data. The company is not carrying out similar surveys anywhere else, the spokesperson confirmed.

De Beers also operates land-based mining in Botswana, South Africa and Canada.

Source: DCLA

Namibia’s marine diamond miner’s production hit by Covid-19

 

Debmarine Namibia, a subsidiary of Anglo American’s diamond unit De Beers, on Monday reported a 13% drop in production to 1.125 million carats last year as demand slumped during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, and is among the top 10 producers of gem-quality diamonds globally. Production, however, has been severely hampered by weak demand on the international market.

Debmarine’s revenue fell 5% to 6.6 billion Namibian dollars ($427 million), the company said. Royalties and tax to the government also slipped 6%, to 2.1 billion Namibian dollars.

Debmarine Namibia, a 50-50 joint venture company between De Beers and the Namibian government, has partnered with five African commercial banks in a $375 million financing deal to build a new diamond mining vessel.

Chief Executive Otto Shikongo said work on the ship, to be known as the AMV3, was progressing well. Construction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021, and production from the vessel is planned for the second quarter of 2022.

The ship, with the capacity to add 500 000 carats of annual production, will be the seventh in the Debmarine Namibia joint venture’s fleet, which mines high-quality diamonds from the ocean floor using hi-tech surveying equipment.

Source: DCLA

Namibia’s marine diamond miner’s production hit by Covid-19

 

Debmarine Namibia, a subsidiary of Anglo American’s diamond unit De Beers, on Monday reported a 13% drop in production to 1.125 million carats last year as demand slumped during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, and is among the top 10 producers of gem-quality diamonds globally. Production, however, has been severely hampered by weak demand on the international market.

Debmarine’s revenue fell 5% to 6.6 billion Namibian dollars ($427 million), the company said. Royalties and tax to the government also slipped 6%, to 2.1 billion Namibian dollars.

Debmarine Namibia, a 50-50 joint venture company between De Beers and the Namibian government, has partnered with five African commercial banks in a $375 million financing deal to build a new diamond mining vessel.

Chief Executive Otto Shikongo said work on the ship, to be known as the AMV3, was progressing well. Construction is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021, and production from the vessel is planned for the second quarter of 2022.

The ship, with the capacity to add 500 000 carats of annual production, will be the seventh in the Debmarine Namibia joint venture’s fleet, which mines high-quality diamonds from the ocean floor using hi-tech surveying equipment.

Source: DCLA

Debmarine Splashes $142M on Diamond Ship

De Beers is planning to add the world’s largest custom built diamond mining vessel to its fleet at a cost of $142 million.
The ship will be the sixth belonging to Debmarine Namibia, a 50/50 joint venture between the miner and the Republic of Namibia, De Beers said Tuesday. Expected to begin operations in 2021, it will enhance the company’s ability to recover diamonds off the southern African country’s Atlantic coast, the rough producer added.
“There is a great amount of potential in Namibia’s marine diamond deposits, and this new vessel will support our strategy to continue to grow our offshore operations,” said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver.
Earlier this year, De Beers launched the MV SS Nujoma, the world’s largest diamond sampling and exploration vessel. Acquiring the new ship will help the company capitalize on that vessel’s work, and support the long-term future of Namibia’s diamond sector, Cleaver added.
Kleven Verft, a Norwegian ship-building company that constructed the Nujoma, will also build the new vessel, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with De Beers.

Source: DCLA 

Debmarine Splashes $142M on Diamond Ship

De Beers is planning to add the world’s largest custom built diamond mining vessel to its fleet at a cost of $142 million.
The ship will be the sixth belonging to Debmarine Namibia, a 50/50 joint venture between the miner and the Republic of Namibia, De Beers said Tuesday. Expected to begin operations in 2021, it will enhance the company’s ability to recover diamonds off the southern African country’s Atlantic coast, the rough producer added.
“There is a great amount of potential in Namibia’s marine diamond deposits, and this new vessel will support our strategy to continue to grow our offshore operations,” said De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver.
Earlier this year, De Beers launched the MV SS Nujoma, the world’s largest diamond sampling and exploration vessel. Acquiring the new ship will help the company capitalize on that vessel’s work, and support the long-term future of Namibia’s diamond sector, Cleaver added.
Kleven Verft, a Norwegian ship-building company that constructed the Nujoma, will also build the new vessel, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with De Beers.

Source: DCLA