Debswana to proceed with Jwaneng tailings project

Brian Benza
Staff Writer | Friday July 2, 2010 00:00

The project was awarded to an ADP / Firestone partnership in 2008 after a formal tender process. However, implementation post award was delayed due to the global economic recession. The tailings, at the world's richest diamond mine are estimated at over 30 million tons.

A statement from Debswana says that the modular tailings treatment project is critical for the company, as it will provide an opportunity to determine whether or not the modular concept can be used for other tailings resources within the company.

An ADP / Firestone Diamonds partnership was selected as the preferred bidder in 2008 to supply, construct and operate a modular tailings treatment plant. Firestone is also responsible for the financing of the project.

Construction of the plant is expected to commence in the first half of 2011 and full production of two million tons per annum to be reached in 2012.

Speaking at the Botswana Resource conference in Gaborone this week, Tim Wilkes, Chief Operating Officer of Firestone said negotiations with Debswana are now at an advanced stage and the plant, which they will build, will process about 2million tonnes per annum of tailings.

Wilkes also said their BK11 project processing plant is now in place in Orapa.

'After migrating all our operation from South Africa to Botswana we also disassembled our plant there and moved it here and it will be ready for commissioning soon and will reach its full production output of 1,5-million tons a year by year-end.'

He added that the company has also submitted its mining application to the government and they are expecting a positive response.

Firestone Diamonds, a company listed on the London AIM stock exchange, has vast experience in diamond mining and exploration in Botswana and South Africa.

The company also intends to have a secondary listing on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

The diamond-mining and exploration company had appointed Capital Securities of Botswana as its sponsoring broker for the proposed listing.

With most of Firestone's current operations now focused on Botswana and production due to start at the company's BK11 kimberlite soon, the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) had granted the company local asset status.