De Beers expects Angola to produce next megamines

For De Beers, “megamines” are typically the size of Orapa and Jwaneng, the two local operations which together produce more than two thirds of the diamond group’s annual output which averages above 30 million carats. Known as Tier 1 discoveries, mines such as Jwaneng and Orapa are extremely rare and the diamond industry has not found such in more than 20 years.

De Beers previously explored Angola in the 1970s finding signs of “rich deposits” but a bloody civil war, attacks on operating mines and the Dos Santos family control of mining, kept the diamond giant out of the exploration fields.