Eight high potential kimberlite targets identified to date
De Beers Group today provided an update on its diamond exploration activity in Angola, with CEO Al Cook highlighting that eight high potential kimberlite targets have already been identified as a result of the Group’s airborne magnetic surveying work, when presenting at the Angola International Diamond Conference.
In the first half of 2024, De Beers Group completed all planned airborne electromagnetic surveys across both of its exploration concessions in Angola, while also commencing the airborne magnetic survey activity, discovery drilling and ground geophysics in the Group’s concession in Lumboma in the Lunda-Norte province.
Since then, De Beers Group has also carried out airborne magnetic surveys in its other exploration concession, Muconda, located in Angola’s Lunda-Sul province, and intends to complete the airborne magnetic survey work in Lumboma in the coming months. This critical activity, which involves two survey aircraft supported by a helicopter, enables the acquisition of the data required to identify kimberlite targets for further assessment. Discovery phase drilling activity, focused on assessing the potential of identified targets, is now fully operational and will continue on the targets with the highest geological potential.
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, said: “As we continue to put our Origins strategy into action, we are making good progress with our diamond exploration in Angola – the world’s most prospective region for new diamond deposits – and we are very pleased to have already identified eight new high potential kimberlite targets in Angola as a result of our work.
“Alongside this, we are working hard with our partners in Government, both on enhancing the environment for long-term investors in the nation and on making sure we have all the tools in place to realise the socio-economic benefit of diamonds for the country.”
At the Angola International Diamond Conference, which runs from 23 – 24 October, Al Cook also highlighted De Beers Group’s continuing progress on working with the authorities in Angola to advance preparations for the sustainable development of the national diamond sector, in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2024.
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Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.