Alluvial diamond mining features prominently in this issue, with in-depth coverage - in two separate articles - of the activities of Rockwell Diamonds, which primarily operates in the Northern Cape.
In Rockwell refocuses on the Middle Orange we update readers on Rockwell's turnaround strategy, which has seen the company disengaging from its loss-making operations - Klipdam and Tirisano - and concentrating its efforts on its Middle Orange River properties.The article looks at a new operation - the Saxendrift Hill Complex (SHC) - at Rockwell's flagship Saxendrift mine and also describes innovative technologies - an in-field screen and Russian-made bulk X-ray sorters - which are helping Rockwell to increase productivity and cut costs.
A second article - Rockwell's latest arrival delivered in 10 weeks - describes the company's newest mine, Niewejaarskraal, which was constructed within an astonishing 10-week timeframe earlier this year. Located 13 km downstream of Saxendrift, Niewejaarskraal is currently ramping up to an initial capacity of 50 000 m3 of gravel a month, with a doubling up expected to be achieved before year end. What stands out about Niewejaarskraal (apart from the speed with which the project was implemented) is the fact that it was completed and commissioned by Rockwell using mainly in-house resources.
In other diamond mining news in this issue, ASX-listed Kimberley Diamonds Limited (KDL) has executed a binding Heads of Agreement to acquire 100 % of the equity in Mantle Diamonds - which will also give it ownership of the Lerala diamond mine near Martin's Drift. KDL says it is expecting to bring the operation, originally commissioned in 2008 and currently on care and maintenance, back on line on 2014 and is targeting a production of plus 400 000 carats a year.
Our special feature this month is on materials handling and includes details of a major new conveyer system for Codelco's El Teniente mine expansion in Chile, which will transport more than 12 000 t/h of crushed copper ore over a distance of almost 12 km, most of it in tunnel. Codelco has selected direct or gearless drives for the conveyor system. The contractor on the project is Tenova TAKRAF.