Are the Kgaswe coal mines at last to be exploited?

"Shell Coal," the story read, " has completed its exploration of coal deposits in the Kgaswe area, near Serowe, and submitted the findings of its feasibility study to Government. Because of the recession in the world economy, the demand for coal, and with it the price of the coal, has fallen and the optimism about Kgaswe of two years ago has evaporated.

 
"Botswana's total coal reserves," it continued, "are known to be vast. Estimates of technically and economically recoverable reserves range between 3.5 and 17 billion tons. Exploration is being carried out by Total, north of Serowe, by BP in the Tuli Block, and by a French nationalised company Carbonnages de France, near Mmamabula.