Debswana Marks Record Production

De Beers’ Botswana mining subsidiary, Debswana expects to achieve its target of 30 million carats this year, a year earlier than planned. This target represents an increase of 20 percent (5.4 million carats) since 2000 when production stood at 24.6 million carats.

The company attributes the increased production to improved treatment plants efficiencies.

No doubt encouraged by the leap in production, Louis Nchindo, Managing Director of Debswana, announced plans to increase annual production by an additional 2 million carats to 32 million carats by 2006.

Nchindo spoke at the opening of the new Damtshaa mine. He said Debswana was looking into how to maintain production levels between 35 million carats and 40 million carats per year.

Nchindo lamented the decreasing prices of rough, saying it was impacting the company financially, “While we have enjoyed a good increase in the average prices for this year, we are not yet back to the level of prices realized in 2000,” he said, pointing out the lower value of the US dollar against the Botswana pula.