July 2010
Botswana's mining industry, on its knees a year ago as a result of the collapse of rough diamond prices, has made a strong comeback, as our review of the recent Botswana Resource Sector Conference in Gaborone makes clear. Diamond projects that are now proceeding into implementation are AK6, a joint venture between Lucara Diamond Corp and African Diamonds, and BK11, owned by Firestone Diamonds. Both these projects are located in the Orapa kimberlite field with BK11 due to start producing diamonds very shortly and AK6 by late 2011.
The country's copper mining potential was also highlighted at the conference with African Copper's Jordan Soko detailing the revival of the Mowana mine (on care and maintenance for the greater part of last year) and Discovery Metals' Brad Sampson describing the Boseto copper/silver project south-west of Maun, scheduled for commissioning late in 2011. Boseto is a big project, costing in the region of US$85 million to develop, but it could possibly be surpassed by Hana Mining's Ghanzi copper/silver project, in much the same area, which could be in production by 2014.
Our special feature in this issue covers the field of underground mining contracting, in which talk to several of the leading companies, including Murray & Roberts Cementation, reputedly the biggest mining contracting company in the world, Shaft Sinkers, which is increasingly focusing on shaft sinking and underground infrastructure rather than contract mining, and Grinaker-LTA Mining, whose current flagship project is the highly challenging 1 490 m deep Konkola No 4 shaft on the Zambian copperbelt. We also profile JIC Mining, for long associated with labour-intensive mining contracting but now engaged in a move ‘upmarket' into offering fully outsourced turnkey mining solutions.
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Basil Read Mining builds R1,3 billion order book
Our cover story focuses on Basil Read Mining, one of South Africa's most successful surface mining contractors, which is currently working at Jwaneng in Botswana on the Cut-8 project. To ensure that it has the right equipment for the job, it has recently acquired four new 90-t payload Cat 777F off-highway trucks.
Golder completes TSF project at Nkomati
Golder Associates has played a lead role in the design and construction of Nkomati nickel mine's new valley fill tailings storage facility (TSF), said to be one of the largest in Africa. It will be able to store approximately 402 000 tonnes a month over 18 years.
Botswana bounces back
A full review of the recent Botswana Resource Sector Conference. The event attracted a record 345 delegates who listened to a fascinating series of presentations on virtually all the mining projects planned or currently under construction in Botswana (with the notable exception of Cut-8 at Jwaneng).
Grootegeluk expansion project now underway
Exxaro Resources recently launched the Grootegeluk Medupi Expansion Project (GMEP), which will double the size of what is already a huge coal mine. Costing R9,5 billion, the GMEP will provide the coal to be burnt in Eskom's new Medupi Power station, now under construction close to the Grootegeluk site.
New management team in place at Wade Walker
Wade Walker, possibly the biggest electrical & instrumentation contractor operating in Africa, has a new MD and a new GM. The company, part of the Murray & Roberts Group, derives most of its turnover from the mining industry although it has also recently successfully worked on the Gautrain project.
