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The multinational De Beers has identified eight new kimberlites (rocks associated with diamond production) in Angola, specifically in Lunda Sul, and has partnered with Endiama to explore six more areas in the country, the company’s president told Lusa.
Al Cook, who is in Angola to participate in the 2nd International Diamond Conference of Angola, expressed his satisfaction with the company’s return to the African country in 2022, praising the reforms implemented by the government led by João Lourenço and the improvement in transparency that enabled the multinational to return.
Currently, the company holds two mining exploration licenses in Angola, still in the prospecting phase. They are using aerial means to conduct electromagnetic surveys before moving on to the excavation phase, said the De Beers official on the sidelines of the conference, which is taking place today and Thursday in Saurimo, the capital of Lunda Sul, the region where most of Angola’s diamonds are produced.
De Beers has also been working with the Angolan government in policy development, diamond cutting, and marketing, to not only produce diamonds but also market them as “some of the best diamonds in the world.”
Asked about the duration of this prospecting phase, he said there is no defined timeline, as exploration will only begin if a kimberlite (the rock containing diamonds) with commercial and economic viability is found.
“At that point, we will begin our projects, and if we are successful, the first production could take place around 2030,” he added in an interview with Lusa.
Al Cook also refrained from specifying investment figures, assuring that they are significant, and cited as an example the diamond mine De Beers is developing in South Africa, where it has already invested $2.5 billion (2 billion euros).
This research activity, supported by a helicopter, has also led to the identification of eight new high-potential kimberlites in which De Beers is working in the diamond-rich province of Lunda Sul, as well as six other projects in collaboration with the Angolan state-owned diamond company Endiama across the country.
Al Cook also addressed the issue of diamond traceability in Angola, following Monday’s announcement by the Angolan Secretary of State for Mineral Resources, who revealed that Sodiam (the state-owned diamond marketing company) had acquired a machine to track and certify the origin of diamonds.
“For the first time in history, we have this technology that allows us to trace the story of each diamond. Currently, we can say whether a diamond is from Namibia or Botswana, and soon we’ll be able to tell people that these diamonds come from Angola. We need to ensure that Angolan diamonds are truly seen as something valuable,” he emphasized.
