While Debswana has known about DK7's existence for decades, various factors such as the company's decision to focus on existing operations and vacillating profitability over the years, have held back the deposit's development. However, with known resources and existing operations only guaranteeing production up to 2033, Debswana strategists are taking a deeper look at DK7.
Debswana group manager, mining, Len Dimbungu recently told Business Week that the diamond company had moved DK7 into its sights. "It's smaller than the other deposits and we are doing work to see when to bring this into production and at what rate," he said, "It could possibly be about the same size as Damtshaa." When fully operational before its suspension in 2009, Damtshaa was a 500,000-carat per annum operation, being the smallest of Debswana's four operating mines. The DK7 deposit is 12 hectares in size, while the main Jwaneng deposit is spread over 54 hectares.
