Local News
De Beers looks to extend life of Kimberley as diamond source─── 09:06 Fri, 22 May 2015
Kimberley - De Beers has put its operation to recover diamonds from tailings at Kimberley up for sale, seeking to extend the life of its second-largest source of South African diamonds beyond 2018.
Business Day reports that De Beers CEO Phillip Barton says in the past decade the mine has taken steps to sustain the operation and succeeded in maintaining production in economically challenging times.
He says it shows that Kimberley Mines may not have to close in the near future and that its life could be extended into the next decade, possibly up to 2030, in the hands of an experienced operator.
Anglo owns 85% of De Beers, the world's largest producer of rough diamonds by value. Barton saysDe Beers wants to reach a sales agreement "in a matter of months" to avoid depleting the diamond resource through unnecessary delays.
Business Day
