Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
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Mining Method |
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Production Start | ... |
Lower Orange River Operations covers mining areas of Baken mine, Bloeddrif mine and Reuning mine where large scale mining was ceased in 2017.
LOR, the owner of mining leases, continues mining by via multiple JVs. Each of these Joint Venture partners have been allocated separate mining sites throughout the mining area, with each Joint Venture partner supplying it’s own Plant and Equipment and conducting mining operations at it’s own cost and expense to mine virgin gravels, and to process the stock piles that had previously been established by Trans Hex. |
Source:
Trans Hex Operations (Pty) Ltd (“Trans Hex”) was previously the holder of the Mining Right issued by the Department of Mineral Resources (“DMR”) and the Lessee of a Notarial Mining Lease granted by the State as the Lessor and the registered owner of the Mining Area of 41 343 hectare of land in the Richtersveld. Trans Hex stopped mining in September 2017, placed the mine under care and maintenance. In April 2018 Lower Orange River Diamonds (PTY) Ltd (LOR) purchased the business as a going concern (this included the Mining Right and the rights to the Mining Lease. During July 2019 LOR received notice from the DMR that its application to cede the Mining Right from Trans Hex to LOR. LOR has appointed its operational company Plateaux Diamonds (Pty) Ltd (“Plateaux”) to conduct and manage mining operations at the Lower Orange River Complex, as well as to enter into joint ventures with other Junior Diamond Miners (CAM project), with extensive experience in alluvial diamond mining.
Contractors
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Summary:
This operation mines the Baken palaeochannel, an ancient riverbed containing alluvial diamonds washed downstream from kimberlite (diamond-bearing volcanic rock) pipes millions of years ago.
The Baken area is predominantly underlain by the basement rocks of the Holgat Formation, comprising interbedded dolomites, metapelites and arenites.
The Baken paleo-channel is a classic proto-aged oxbow feature which has been cut-off from the present-day Orange River valley. It represents a remnant of a meandering fluvial system caused by a change in the direction of the river. It is characterised by the deposition of heavy minerals in areas where local conditions like obstructions or depressions, rising bedrock, junctions of crosschannels, etcetera, resulted in a loss of energy. It is filled with an upward fining sequence of sediments correlated with the Arries Drift Gravel formation, comprising a coarse-grained diamondiferous gravel unit (basal gravel) at its base, overlain by often lenticular beds of more sandy gravel (suspended gravel).
The basement geology of the Bloeddrif area is dominated by the rocks of the Kaigas Formation, comprising interbedded dolomites, metapelites and arenites. The gravel suites associated with both the proto and meso terraces, characteristic of the Baken area, are also present at Bloeddrif.
The proto-sediments at Bloeddrif are predominantly preserved within two cut-off meanders, named B1 and B2, which are partially ........
Summary:
Ore is mined using open pit mining methods from numerous small, localised alluvial gravel resources. Mining is carried out with open pit truck and shovel operations from the diamondiferous gravels after removal of overburden. The general method employed is strip mining. The paleo-channels and terraces which host the diamondiferous gravels vary in width and overburden depth and, as such are subject to varying degrees of continuity for active mining faces. Mining also encompasses rehandling and reprocessing of remnant tailings and stockpiled material.
Source:
Summary:
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Production:
2016-2018 production numbers are provided for Baken mine only. During the same period Bloeddrif mine has been producing additional 2.5-3.5 thousand carats.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2016 |
Ore tonnes mined
| 5,930,000 m3 |
Reserves at December 31, 2018:
2016-2018 mineral resource numbers are provided for Baken mine only.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained carats |
Indicated
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21,550,334 m3
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Diamond
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0.0126 carats/cu.m
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270,486 carats
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Inferred
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61,691,404 m3
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Diamond
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0.0068 carats/cu.m
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420,879 carats
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Operating Costs:
| Units | 2016 |
OP mining costs ($/t mined)
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ZAR
| 0 |
Processing costs ($/t milled)
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ZAR
| ...... |
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Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Phone | Profile | Ref. Date |
.......................
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.......................
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...........
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Jan 14, 2024
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Staff:
Total Workforce | Year |
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2020
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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