Jwaneng mine to move underground.(SHORT cuts)

Israel Diamonds, December, 2006

The Jwaneng Mine, one of the four major diamond mines run by Debswana, the 50-50 joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government, will change from open pit to underground mining over the next 10 years to prolong the life of the mine, mine General Manager Dale Ekmark said.

The 25-year agreement recently signed by De Beers and the Botswana government, covers 10 years of open pit mining and 15 years of underground mining at Jwaneng. New treatment plants and mining shafts at Jwaneng and the other three Debswana mines, Damtshaa, Letlhakane and Orapa, will add 5,000 jobs to Debswana's workforce in five years, Ekmark said. The company currently employs 6,500 workers.

Debswana produces 33 million carats of rough a year. This year, that will bring...