Debswana Says Mine Pit Slope Collapse 'Insignificant'

The collapse of a pit slope at Botswana's Orapa mine has had almost no impact on production, Debswana said today (Wednesday), after a slope collapse December 23.

Debswana spokesman Kabello Binns said the incident was "insignificant" but the company published a news release on it in order to counter local rumors that the collapse had led to a mine closure at Orapa.

Debswana said the pit slope collapse affected one of the roads going into the pit which has been closed and trucks are accessing the pit via other roads. No-one was injured during the incident and there had not been any damage to equipment.

"It is not really affecting production much," Binns told IDEX Online. "We have found other ways of mining. The collapse was on the kimberlite itself so it is easy to mine out."

The Orapa and Jwaneng diamond mines are the two richest mines in the world.

Debswana, which is jointly owned by De Beers and the Botswana government, set a record production level in 2004 of 31 million carats.