Stanbic Bank Botswana continues to champion cycling as a means for community wellness as well as a platform for engagement. The Bank this week reaffirmed its support for the Morupule Coal Mine Cycling Club, once again sponsoring the annual cycling challenge which was successfully held in Serowe. This year, the Bank sponsored the challenge to the value of P200,000.00, along withP50,000 towards cycling kits, building upon 5 years of consecutive sponsorship of the platform. The victors of this year’s challenge are shared below. This year’s race was categorised into three different distances being the 110km, 60km and 30 km and was…
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Botswana Diamonds (BOD) said it has found a diamond on its early stages of analysis of material from its exploration in the Orapa diamond district. The Aim-listed explorer noted the stone was discovered in the early stage of the re-analysis by Alrosa specialists of concentrate from Large Diameter Drilling on kimberlite pipe AK21 on PL 260. It is a 1mm octahedron-shaped diamond. As previously announced, two Large Diameter Drillholes (LDD) were completed on AK21 on Licence PL 260 in April 2016. Eighty tonnes of samples were sent to a processing facility in South Africa. Control microdiamonds were included in the…
Kimberley Diamonds Ltd (KDL) said in-pit mining has been halted at Lerala mine as it looks to process the existing stock piles while at the same time saving costs. There have been media reports that the mine had closed, but the company moved in to clarify that Basil Read, the contracted mining company, has been advised to suspend pit operations at one kimberlite pipe. “Mining operations at the Lerala Diamond Mine, which are conducted by external contractor, Basil Read, have continued to date at rates exceeding the plant’s current ability to process feed, which has resulted in the development of…
The Botswana diamond mining industry has been implored to look for smaller deposits in a bid to add value to the economy. On the other hand, they were reminded that discovering another Jwaneng or Orapa is a pipe dream. The Botswana Chamber of Mines, chief executive officer Charles Siwawa said at the opening of the 2016 Botswana Mining Industrial and Energy Expo that it will take a long time to explore in order to discover mines like Orapa and Jwaneng that are operated by Debswana, a 50/50 partnership between Botswana government and De Beers. “The probability of discovering another…
The Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) has expressed hope that BCL Mine can be revived if a buyer is found as the closure does not necessarily mean the Selebi-Phikwe based copper/nickel is uneconomic. Speaking at the opening of the 2016 Botswana Mining Industrial and Energy Expo in Gaborone, BCM chief executive officer Charles Siwawa said a suitor can be found just like it happened to Discovery Metals’ Boseto mine and African Copper’s Mowana operation where the buyer will be announced soon. “….the fact that one of the oldest base metals mines is reeling under pressure of provisional liquidation, the hope…
Botswana Diamonds (BOD) has announced that a first phase four hole drilling programme has commenced on Prospecting Licence PL 135 in the Gope region of the Kalahari Desert. The Gope region is a very remote part of the world with no people, no water, deep sand and extreme temperatures. Operating in the region requires significant planning and logistical support. This licence is a top priority target for the Botswana Diamonds/Alrosa joint venture and the drilling programme is targeting new kimberlites. It was selected in separate studies by BOD and by Alrosa geologists as having significant potential and it has never…
Following the provisional liquidation of BCL Mine by its only shareholder, government of Botswana, the local federation of employers said it will conduct its own investigation to find out what led to the decision. Government as 100% owner recently appointed liquidator Nigel Dixon-Warren of KPMG to look into the affairs of the copper/ nickel miner as it is argued BCL Limited has become uneconomic to operate for some time mainly due to the decline of copper/nickel prices in the market and the high costs of operations. Business Botswana said although it appreciates efforts by government it has appointed its…
PJSC “MMC “NORILSK NICKEL or Norilsk has warned that it will take its war with BCL Mine to the courts following the non-conclusion of the acquisition of Nkomati Nickel Mine by Botswana government owned copper/nickel miner. The Russian company in 2014 announced it had entered into a binding agreement for the sale of its African assets to Botswana-based BCL Investments, which is controlled 100% by the government of Botswana. The deal which was comprised of 50% participation interest in the Nkomati Nickel and Chrome Mine, South Africa, and its 85% stake in Tati Nickel Mining Company (‘Tati Nickel’), Botswana (together,…
Tlou Energy Limited, the unconventional gas explorer has received an initial Independent Reserve Certification from SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd for the Lesedi CBM Project located in prospecting licence PL002/2004 in Botswana. According to the company, the initial reserve certification is a major milestone and demonstrates the commerciality of the Lesedi CBM Project. Executive Director Gabaake Gabaake said as the first in Botswana to attain independently certified CBM reserves, they are in a very strong position to progress the project further for the benefit of ‘our shareholders and to bring a much needed and clean source of power to the…
Kathu Solar Park (Pty) Ltd held a ground breaking ceremony, in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa attended by project shareholders, and various other stakeholders, local officials and honoured guests. The Kathu 100 MW Concentrated Solar Power project, is jointly owned by ENGIE (48.5%), the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), on behalf of the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) (17.5%), the SIOC Community Development Trust (SIOC CDT) (12.5%), the Lereko Metier REIPPP Fund Trust (11.5%), Investec Bank Limited (7.5%) and the Kathu LCT Trust (2.5%). Kathu Solar Park was awarded preferred bidder in the 3.5 round of the Renewable Energy…