17 Jul 2018

Debswana’s Letlhakane Mine Tailings Resource Treatment Project (LMTRTP) recently reached their biggest and final milestone through the recovery of the first carats from the tailings resource.

This follows tests which introduced tailings feed to the plant. The commissioning also marked a historical moment for Letlhakane mine, as the tailings resource was mined and treated for the very first time since the mine’s commissioning in 1975.

Debswana corporate affairs manager Ms Naledi Dikgomo-Goulden said in an interview that the idea behind the project was to extend the life of Letlhakane mine and reserve jobs of those who worked at the mine.

Ms Dikgomo-Goulden said the objective was to also assure the shareholders of continuous revenue generation as Debswana was the main contributor to the GDP of the country.

Diamonds she said were the backbone of the country’s economy, emphasising that economic contribution went beyond shareholders, as communities living in and around Letlhakane continued to benefit from the mine through service provision.

Ms Dikgomo-Goulden said the mine had the potential to produce diamonds and create jobs.

According to a press release from Debswana, the acting Letlhakane Mine senior commissioning manager, Mr Kirby Motsumi said they were delighted with the achievement which was in line with the mine strategic goals.

“We thank our team and business partners for working tirelessly and safely in the delivery of this key milestone. The focus is now on preparing for the continuous running of the plant. This means working to deliver per the strategic blueprint we have in place and ensuring efficient and sustainable efforts,” he said.

Senior construction manager Mr Douglas Hambidge noted that achieving such a milestone had indeed brought in a lot of excitement amongst the teams, especially contractors and business partners as they witness their handiwork come to life. “This is a great feat, and we are excited at the progress being made,” he said.

The release indicates that part of final commissioning stages include the introduction of tailings material into the different sections of the process plant and confirmation that the individual sections achieve production targets, the aspect it says is critical to the project.

“It prepared for the final stage of commissioning; that is, achievement of nameplate design which saw the process plant as a whole operating at design production capacity over a specific time.”

For the plant to go into full production, senior project manager, Mr Omphile Ntabeni revealed that the plant ought to run consistently for 72 hours/3 days, reaching the set production targets.

“I remain confident that with support from the various stakeholders and teamwork we will  deliver on this key project,” he said.

 The new plant is expected to extend the of Letlhakane Mine by over 20 years, thus a testament to the future planning for the mine. ENDS