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Botswana
Orapa Operation (Damtshaa Mine, Letlhakane Mine)

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 Location:
24 km NW from Letlhakane, Botswana

  Address:
Private Bag 001
Orapa
Botswana
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Fax+ 267-297-0243
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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Diamond
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start...
Mine Life22 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
Orapa Operation includes Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa (on care and maintenance) mines.
Orapa is one of the largest resources, in terms of total carats.


Owners

Source:
CompanyInterestOwnership
Anglo American plc. 42.5 % Indirect
Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB) 57.5 % Indirect
Debswana Diamond Company (Pty) Ltd (operator) 100 % Direct
Anglo American owns 85% of De Beers, the world’s leading diamond company. The remaining 15% of De Beers is owned by the Government of the Republic of Botswana (GRB).

Debswana is a joint venture between the government of Botswana and the South African diamond company De Beers; each party owns 50% of the company.

Contractors

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Deposit Type

  • Kimberlite
  • Tailings


Summary:

All of the subject Properties lie within the Orapa kimberlite cluster on the southwestern edge of the Zimbabwe Craton of Southern Africa with a stable, cool cratonic setting favourable for the intrusion of diamondiferous kimberlite and associated alluvial deposits. The Orapa cluster, comprising approximately 60 known pipes and dykes is located in north-eastern Botswana, east of the Kalahari sub-basin. During the late-Cretaceous epoch (~93 Ma), the Orapa kimberlites were erupted through deformed Archaean basement overlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Karoo Supergroup. The pipes are located near to the contact between the Archaean Limpopo belt and Zimbabwe craton which forms the suture zone with the Kaapvaal craton. The Limpopo belt (3500 – 2500 Ma) consists of complex metamorphic terrains composed of gneissic, granitic and metasedimentary rocks.

The Orapa kimberlites are characterized by being high up in the volcanic crater area and having had to break through the extensive Karoo-aged basaltic lava flows to reach the surface. The kimberlites are often small in surface area but swell out below the basalts to be much larger than their surface expression suggests. The kimberlites often contain large quantities of fragmented basalt in their upper parts.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

First discovered in 1966, the Orapa Regime (cluster) consists of Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa (the mine was placed on care and maintenance at the end of Q1 2021) Mines, which are open-pit operations using traditional truck and shovel methods.

The mine plan involves designing progressive “cuts” into the ground, which are developed in a series of “benches”, usually 12-16m in height.

The slope angle of the cut depends on the strength of the country rock mass – the stronger country rocks, e.g. basalt, at the Debswana northern mines, may have slopes of up to 60 degrees, whereas the weaker rocks, such as mudstones, have much gentler slopes, of the order of 30 – 45 degrees.

Today, the area of excavation at surface measures about 120 hectares and the 290m deep pit measures 1.25 by 1.8km.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

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Summary:

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Production:

CommodityUnits202120202019201820172016
Diamond k carats  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required12,23610,1857,931
All production numbers are expressed as mineral.
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Reserves at December 31, 2021:
Reported Diamond Reserves and Resources are based on a Bottom Cut-Off (BCO) which refers to the bottom screen size aperture and for Orapa Diamond Resources BCO 1.65 mm, Diamond Reserves BCO 1.65 mm.

CategoryOreTypeTonnage CommodityGradeContained carats
Probable 102.8 Mt Diamond 147.1 cpht 151.2 M carats
Probable Tailings 26.8 Mt Diamond 19.4 cpht 5.2 M carats
Indicated 327.9 Mt Diamond 86.7 cpht 284.3 M carats
Indicated Tailings 189.3 Mt Diamond 67.4 cpht 127.7 M carats
Inferred 18.7 Mt Diamond 27.8 cpht 5.2 M carats
Inferred Tailings 52.7 Mt Diamond 26.7 cpht 14 M carats



Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 8, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 8, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 8, 2022
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 8, 2022
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2018
Subscription required Subscription required Subscription required 2015

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Report 2018
Other 2018
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2018
Annual Report 2017
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2017
Annual Report 2016
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2016
Annual Report 2015
Annual Report 2015
Year-end Mineral Reserves 2015
Other 2013
Corporate Presentation 2012
Press Release 2012
Other 2011
Other 2011
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