Namibia Expects a Million Carats from Marine Mining This Year

With the aid of cutting edge marine prospecting, Namibia expects to mine one million carats of diamonds offshore this year, President Hifikepunye Pohamba said last week. According to Nambdeb's annual report, of the 1,774,409 carats mined by Namdeb last year, 922,000 carats were mined offshore.

Last year was the first time that Namdeb, a joint venture between De Beers and the government of Namibia, mined more diamonds offshore than on land.

Pohamba attributed the increase in marine production to “cutting edge marine prospecting and mining technology,” adding that the focus on marine mining comes as “our diamond reserves on land decline gradually,” said at a state dinner.

A topic of interest that the president did not address was when he expects talks with De Beers over license renewal to conclude. The discussions between the sides are believed to include subjects such as fees and the percentage of the mined goods that will remain in the country for local manufacturing.