Jwaneng diamond mine
 Jwaneng Mine Buildings | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Jwaneng diamond mine Location in Botswana | |
| Location | Naledi River Valley, Kalahari Desert[1] |
| Country |  Botswana |
| Coordinates | 24°31′23″S 24°42′07″E / 24.52306°S 24.70194°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds |
| History | |
| Opened | 1982[2] |
| Owner | |
| Company | Debswana |
The Jwaneng diamond mine is the richest diamond mine in the world,[2][3] and also the second largest in the world.[4] It is nicknamed “the Prince of Mines,”[2][5] and is located in south-central Botswana about 170 kilometers (110 mi) southwest of the city of Gaborone.[6] Jwaneng, meaning "a place of small stones",[7] and Jwaneng mine meaning "where a small stone is found" in Setswana.[5] The mine is owned by Debswana, a joint venture between De Beers and the government of Botswana.[8] It commenced operations in 1982.[2] As of 2024, the mine is expected to last until 2035 with its current known reserves.[9]
The mine also employs more than 2,500 people,[10] and the mine owns and operates a local hospital,[11] a primary school,[12] and an airport.[13] The mine maintains an ISO 14001 certificate for environmental compliance, being the first mine in Botswana to achieve this certification in 2000. Jwaneng is known for its excellent safety record, winning multiple national and international safety awards.[14] And in 2022, it produced 13.4 million carats of diamonds.[10] In 2021, around 107.012million tonnes of rock were mined.[5]
History[edit]
The discovery of diamonds in the Jwaneng area marked a significant turning point in Botswana's economic trajectory, even being considered as Botswana’s economic pulse.[15] In the early 1970s, extensive geological surveys by De Beers Exploration led to the identification of the Jwaneng deposit in February 1973,[16] and after 9 years of evaluation and construction[16] it became fully operational in 1982.[2]
Geology[edit]
The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is situated within the Orapa Kimberlite Field.[17] The heart of the mine lies the "Jwaneng pipe,"[18] a volcanic crater formed during the Late Permian—Early Triassic periods.[19] It is composed primarily of kimberlite rock,[19] and in total the mine consists of three volcanic pipes.[20] Diamond-bearing ores are extracted from the vast pit and transported to processing facilities[21] and manufacturing facilities.[22]
References[edit]
- ^ "Gap International BrandVoice: Operation Botswana: How The Richest Diamond Mine In The World Navigated Covid-19". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ a b c d e "Inside the world's richest diamond mine - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Lock, N. (February 2019). "Jwaneng - the untold story of the discovery of the world's richest diamond mine". Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 119 (2): 155–164. doi:10.17159/2411-9717/2019/v119n2a8. ISSN 2225-6253.
- ^ "The 10 Largest Diamond Mines In The World". WorldAtlas. 2024-04-13. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ a b c "Debswana Jwaneng Mine". Debswana.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana". Mining Technology. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Benson, Steven (2021-04-28). "WORLD'S RICHEST OPEN-PIT DIAMOND MINE TO BECOMETHE WORLD'S LARGEST UNDERGROUND MINE". MID House of Diamonds. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana". Mining Technology. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Jwaneng to live a longer life". www.miningmagazine.com. 2019-03-20. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ a b "Jwaneng". www.dtc.com. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Jwaneng & Orapa Mine Hospitals". Healthshare. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Debswana Community". Debswana. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Ministry of Works&Transport; : Department of Civil Aviation :Jwaneng Aerodrome". web.archive.org. 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Debswana Jwaneng operations Archived 2012-03-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ AfricaNews (2016-11-13). "Botswana embarks on economic diversification beyond diamonds". Africanews. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ a b Lock, Norman (February 2019). "Jwaneng - the untold story of the discovery of the world's richest diamond mine". Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 119 (2): 155. doi:10.17159/2411-9717/2019/v119n2a8. ISSN 2225-6253.
- ^ "Botswana". www.debeersgroup.com. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine tour - excerpts". IDMA. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ a b "Geological constraints on the eruption of the Jwaneng Centre kimberlite pipe, Botswana". ScienceDirect.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ Davies, Aura. "How Diamonds are Mined, Processed, and Cut in Botswana". Goop.
- ^ Eligon, John; Silva, Joao (2023-06-29). "Is Botswana Getting a Raw Deal From De Beers Diamonds?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-06.