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SOUTHERN AFRICA GHAGHOO A diamond in the rough Gem Diamonds’ Ghaghoo kimberlite project in Botswana is nearing the end of its development race and will soon cross the finish line to change its status from developer to producer. This achievement, anticipated before the end of 2014, will mark a momentous occasion for the company, which has been working towards this milestone since early 2007, writes Laura Cornish. IN SHORT Ghaghoo’s start-up production is imminent as it takes the final steps necessary to start mining and recovering diamonds to sell. G haghoo’s journey to date has been a long, winding and ‘evolutionary’ one which saw its development path change direction completely in 2008. The decision to develop a small start-up underground mine as opposed to a massive open pit operation will be considered a pivotal decision-making moment in the mine’s life when its gears are set into motion and the diamond production line kicks off. “Our original plans for Ghaghoo’s development became unviable when the economic recession hit. But we were able to change our concept, adapt our design and plan for the mine and as a result were able to continue working towards bringing Gem Diamonds’ second operation into production,” says COO Alan Ashworth. And while the travelled road has been a bumpy one – developing a decline tunnel through a relatively unstable 70 m Kalahari sand layer, which did delay development timelines – the effort will be considered worth it when the monthly tonnage target of 60 000 t is achieved after a steady build-up. Phase 1 steady-state production, which is expected at the end of 2014 as well, will see the treatment plant process about 720 000 tpa (ROM) from which it is expected to recover around 200 000 carats (per annum). “Having successfully transitioned from the sand layer to basalt rock in the middle of last year, we have been making steady underground development progress and in early May intersected kimberlite on the first production level (Level 1),” Ashworth highlights. The open-faced shield used for tunnel support throughout the sand layer development has T C FAST FA f number o he 200 000 hoo T is expected to ag carats Gh annually recover The processing plant at Ghaghoo 12 MINING REVIEW AFRICA ISSUE 6 2014