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.[6] It commenced operations in 1982.[2] As of 2024[update], the mine is expected to last until 2035 with its current known reserves.[8]
 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 |
Background edit
The mine employs more than 2,500 people,[9] and the mine owns and operates the local Jwaneng Mine Hospital, Acacia Primary School, and Jwaneng Airport.[10][11][12] The mine maintains an ISO 14001 certificate for environmental compliance, being the first mine in Botswana to achieve this certification in 2000.[13]
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.[14] In the early 1970s, extensive geological surveys by De Beers Exploration led to the identification of the Jwaneng deposit in February 1973,[3] and after 9 years of evaluation and construction[15] it became fully operational in 1982.[2] In 2021, around 107 million tonnes of rock were mined.[5] In 2022, it produced 13.4 million carats of diamonds.[9]
Geology edit
The Jwaneng Diamond Mine is situated within the Orapa Kimberlite Field.[16] The heart of the mine lies the "Jwaneng pipe,"[17] a volcanic crater formed during the Late Permian—Early Triassic periods.[3] It is composed primarily of kimberlite rock, and in total the mine consists of three volcanic pipes.[18][3] Diamond-bearing ores are extracted from the vast pit and transported to processing facilities and manufacturing facilities.[19][20]
References edit
- ^ "Gap International BrandVoice: Operation Botswana: How The Richest Diamond Mine In The World Navigated Covid-19". Forbes. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Guest, Peter (3 December 2015). "Inside the world's richest diamond mine - CNN.com". CNN. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Brown et al. 2008, p. 195-208.
- ^ Mala, Alisa (13 April 2024). "The 10 Largest Diamond Mines In The World". WorldAtlas. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Debswana Jwaneng Mine". Debswana. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana". Mining Technology. 29 February 2024. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Benson, Steven (28 April 2021). "World's richest open-pit diamond mine to become the world's largest underground mine". MID House of Diamonds. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Schmidt, Donna (20 March 2019). "Jwaneng to live a longer life". Mining Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Jwaneng". Diamond Trading Company. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Jwaneng & Orapa Mine Hospitals". Healthshare. Archived from the original on 28 November 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Debswana Community". Debswana. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Ministry of Works & Transport: Department of Civil Aviation: Jwaneng Aerodrome". Ministry of Works and Transport (Botswana). 3 February 2007. Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "EXCURSIONS: Debswana Mine, Botswana Meat Commission, and Culture Day" (PDF). Parliament of Botswana. 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Botswana embarks on economic diversification beyond diamonds". Africanews. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Lock 2019, p. 155.
- ^ "Botswana". De Beers. Archived from the original on 12 June 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine tour - excerpts". International Diamond Manufacturers Association. 10 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Jwaneng Diamond Mine, Botswana". NASA Earth Observatory. 26 October 2008. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Eligon & Silva 2023.
- ^ Davies 2023.
Bibliography edit
- Lock, Norman (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. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- Brown, R.J.; Gernon, T.; Stiefenhofer, J.; Field, M. (2008). "Geological constraints on the eruption of the Jwaneng Centre kimberlite pipe, Botswana". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 174 (1–3): 195–208. Bibcode:2008JVGR..174..195B. doi:10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2007.12.032. ISSN 0377-0273.
- Eligon, John; Silva, Joao (29 June 2023). "Is Botswana Getting a Raw Deal From De Beers Diamonds?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 May 2024.*
- Davies, Aura (5 October 2023). "How Diamonds are Mined, Processed, and Cut in Botswana". Goop. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2024.