Namdeb Promotes Marine Exploration, Aims for 10 Million Carats by 2010

Namdeb, the 50:50 joint venture between De Beers and the Namibian government, says it aims to produce 10 million carats and $6.15 billion from the country’s Sperrgebiet region on the country’s south Atlantic coast by 2010.

The company is focusing its efforts on marine mining and prospecting further afield as traditional sources of Namibian diamond dry up.

It is forecast that Namibia’s land diamond reserves could become nearly exhausted by 2020.

To avert the potential loss of one of Namibia’s economic lifelines, Namdeb last August initiated a project to fully exploit its land-based operations at Oranjemund, Elizabeth Bay, and Pocket Beaches. Project backers hope Oranjemund will be declared a town to further stimulate development.

New inshore and inner shelf diamond extraction projects should start producing by 2009, according to Namdeb's Assistant General Manager for Strategic Projects, Tjaart Willemse. Inshore operations should see 270,000 carats per year, he said, while inner-shelf operations should churn out some 300,000 carats a year.

Beach accretion, said Willemse, is anticipated to produce between 200,000 and 300,000 carats per year.