De Beers officially opens its first two mines outside of Africa - Snap Lake and Victor Mines in Canada.
25 July 2008
The mines were launched by Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of the De Beers Group, Jonathan Oppenheimer, Chairman of De Beers Canada, Gareth Penny, Managing Director of the De Beers Group, and Jim Gowans President of De Beers Canada, at celebrations with employees and members of the local communities at both mines on 25 and 26 July 2008.
Together Snap Lake and Victor are expected to produce two million carats per annum, adding to De Beers Family of Companies strategy for production growth to meet growing consumer demand for diamonds.
Commenting on this milestone moment for De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimer said, “This is an exciting moment in the history of De Beers. Never before have we opened two mines at the same time and never before have we opened a mine outside of Africa. I congratulate Jim Gowans and his team for their hard work and dedication in bringing Snap Lake and Victor Mines into production. It is gratifying to see not only the contribution these mines will make to De Beers but the contribution they are already making to the communities in which they are based.”
Jim Gowans, who is overseeing the development and launch of both mines noted, “It has taken us several years and over $1 billion to build each mine. We have also built strong relationships with local communities, and upheld the highest environmental standards. I’m very proud of what we have accomplished.”
From exploration through to production, the diamond industry has brought employment, economic growth, skills training and business opportunities to Aboriginal communities in Canada.
De Beers believes that a well-managed diamond mine can and should serve as a driver of sustainable local development and between Snap Lake and Victor Mines, more than C$650 million has been spent with Aboriginal businesses.
De Beers is also committed to supporting the secondary diamond industry in Canada. As such, agreements have been reached with the Governments of the Northwest Territories and Ontario for De Beers to make available for sale ten percent (10%) of diamonds from the Snap Lake Mine and Victor Mines, by value, to provincially approved manufacturers who have successfully fulfilled the Diamond Trading Company’s client selection criteria.
About De Beers:
De Beers, established in 1888, is the world’s leading diamond company with unrivalled expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. De Beers, and its joint venture partners, operate in 25 countries across five continents employing around 20,000 people.
From its mining operations across Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Canada, De Beers produces and markets approximately 40 percent of the world’s supply of rough diamonds.
As part of the company’s operating philosophy, the people of De Beers are committed to Living up to Diamonds by making a lasting contribution to the communities in which they live and work.
De Beers encourages sustainable working to ensure long-term positive development for Africa, and returns approximately US$4.7 billion to the continent every year.
For further information about De Beers visit www.debeersgroup.com
Notes to Editors:
Snap Lake Mine:
-The Snap Lake Mine located in the Northwest Territories is Canada’s first fully underground diamond mine and De Beers first mine outside of southern Africa.
- The Snap Lake Mine will employee 560 people during production and will have an annual production rate of 1.4 million carats.
- The mine life is expected to be close to 20 years.
- The Snap Lake ore body is a 2.5 metre thick dyke that dips an average of 12-15° from the northwest shore down under the lake. It is unlike most diamond-bearing kimberlite deposits, which are shaped like pipes or carrots.
- Snap Lake is the only diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories (NWT) that has certified its environmental management systems to ISO 14001 standards before operations had started.
Victor Mine:
- The Victor Mine, located near Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario, will be Ontario’s first diamond mine.
- The Victor Mine will employee 400 people during production and will have an annual production rate of 600,000 carats.
- Victor is one of 18 kimberlite pipes discovered on the property, 16 of which are diamondiferous. The Victor kimberlite has a surface area of 15 hectares and consists of two pipes that coalesce at the surface: Victor Main and Victor Southwest.
- The mine will be open-pit with an expected life of 12 years and a total project life of 17 years.
Contact:
Lynette Gould
Media Relations Manager
De Beers London UK
Tel: +44 207 430 3509
Cell: +44 740 393 260
Email: lynette.gould@debeersgroup.com