De Beers rough diamonds output drops - Atlas Copco's surface rock drill issolid 18 AEC pleads with Total on Mozambique's LNG 19 - Botswana Mining ...
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Volume 4 / Issue 2 P35.00 ISSUE APRIL - JUNE 2021 De Beers rough diamonds output drops Giyani Metals project makes Atlas Copco’s surface rock drill AEC pleads with Total on headway 7 is solid 18 Mozambique’s LNG 19
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Contents
Editorial Comment
Let’s widen the country’s mining base : ...................... 4
Briefs : ...................... 5
Cover Story
De Beers rough diamonds out drops : ...................... 6
General News
Giyani Metals project makes headway :...................... 7
Lesedi power project gears up momentum :...................... 8
Lucara, HB extends supply agreement :...................... 9
Mont Burgess discovers rare mineral species :...................... 10
US$6bn giant diamond mine on the cards :...................... 11
Botswana searches for ‘new diamonds’ to diversify economy :...................... 12-13
Industry Trends & Technologies
SKF tachometers expand options for gathering... :...................... 14
Atlas Copco’s surface rock drill is solid :...................... 18
Regional News
AEC pleads with Total on Mozambique’s LNG :...................... 19
Three countries account for 31% of all gold mined in 2020 :...................... 20
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General Manager Gaborone, Botswana
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joshuac@ botswanaminingreview.com P.O Box 404011 Gaborone Botswana
Editor
Bheki Fayayo Jilowa Mwanza Botswana Mining Review
editor@botswanaminingreview.com jilowam@botswanaminingreview.com Tel: +267 715 71830
Email: info@botswanaminingreview.com
Associate Editor Mdu Sibizi Website: www.botswanaminingreview.com
Ulla Setswalo mdus@botswanaminingreview.com
ulla_setswalo@yahoo.com
Elvis Tau
Editorial Contributions elvis.tau@botswanaminingreview.com
Tsepang Mohlabane
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Kotso Rametsi Subscriptions
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 3
Martin Sibanda Loyce Zemeyi
Jeffrey Kgathi info@botswanaminingreview.com
Editorial Note
Let’s widen the country’s
mining base
production for the company decreased by It is disappointing to note that exports from
seven percent to 7.2 million carats. Though non-diamonds—mainly machinery and electri-
Botswana’s decrease is lower than her coun- cal equipment, salt and soda, gold, and other
terpart Namibia, the decreased by 12 percent goods—reached $42,589 in January.
to 5.0 million carats signals that more needs to
Bheki Fayayo (Editor) be done to improve, mining industry’s output. The gloomy picture painted by diamonds being
the only economic mainstay should catapult
The 24 percent reduction at Orapa due to a the different mining stakeholders to proactive-
lower grade feed to the plant in response to ly think of ways to broaden the mining base,
C
heavy rainfall and operational issues, includ- which is the foundation of the economy.
alls to diversify Botswana’s economy
ing continued power supply disruptions paints
have long been on the cards, though
a portion of a bigger challenge that the local The efforts to diversify from the heavy reliance
modest achievements have been
mining industry could be facing, as diamonds on diamonds should also be supported by oth-
reached.
production plunge. er sub sectors of the mining industry too.
Trying to trim the heavy reliance from diamonds
With mining industry sustaining the bulk of the Our economy cannot continue to stand on one
is a wish that authorities and stakeholders have
country’s exports latest figures from Statistics leg, the pressure is mounting and the line of
been stuck with for some time.
Botswana for January indicate that Botswana’s stitching provided by diamonds to the econo-
total export value rose by 43.7 percent—ap- my will soon burst.
Finding an alternative from diamonds an eco-
proximately $239,800 from $548,890 record-
nomic mainstay is proving to be a challenge,
ed for December 2020 to $788,690 during the Remember to share your comments, opinions
though it’s a feat the economy needs to
month under review, other mining commodities and letters with us.
achieve. In this edition, the latest rough dia-
should support diamonds in sustaining the
monds figures indicate that rough diamond
economy. Enjoy the read!
4 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.com
Briefs
Cobre raises cash for exploration Boomslang EIS approved lar farm on a project site of 295 hectares
(ha) owned. The project is part of a two-
Junior copper and base metals explorer The Department of Environmental Af- phase program to develop the full 100
Cobre has raised A$6.7-million to fund fairs (DEA) has approved the environ- MW solar capacity of the site as a key
exploration costs at its joint venture (JV) mental impact assessment (EIS) for Tlou strategic initiative in the region.
with Metal Tiger, a 8 100 km2 of tene- Energy’s Boomslang project.
ment within the Kalahari copper belt. Morupule awards Bothakga Burrow,
According to DEA All proposed project Basil Read mining contract
The ASX-listed company raised an initial activities outlined under the EIS have
A$5.3-million under a first tranche share been authorised. Morupule Coal Mine (MCM) has awarded
placement, priced at 17c a share. And the a five-year mining services contract to a
tenement holdings are in close proximity The activities include the drilling of core joint venture between Bothakga Burrow,
to ASX-listed Sandfire’s T3 and A4 cop- holes and stratigraphy boreholes, con- a local citizen owned company, and Ba-
per deposits. ducting seismic and geomagnetic sur- sil Read Mining, a South African based
veys, pilot testing pods, monitoring wells company, for the development of an open
DTCB to expand its solar park and evaporation ponds and installation of cast coal mining operation at the MCM,
pumping monitoring, gathering lines and Motheo project.
Diamond Trading Company Botswana evaluation equipment.
(DTCB) has embarked on the design, sup- Motheo is an expansion project estab-
ply, installation and commissioning of an Tlou believes the Boomslang project can lished by Morupule Coal Mine to devel-
estimated 600 kW photovoltaic (PV) Solar complement the more mature Lesedi and op an open cast mine, a coal washing
Power Plant at its premises in Gaborone. Mamba projects, particularly given the plant and associated infrastructure. The
The development is is in line with the presence of the highly prospective Se- ultimate aim of the project is to facilitate
company’s zero emissions strategy, with rowe coal seam. The Lesedi and Mamba MCM’s contribution to Botswana’s eco-
a current maximum design capacity for projects primarily target the deeper Moru- nomic growth and transformation of coal
power at DTCB being a 3.5 MW, whereas pule coal seam. into unlimited sources of energy.
the actual maximum demand is just under
1.0MW. Meanwhile successful exploration and The project is envisaged to increase coal
development of the Boomslang area production capacity from the current 2.8
Currently, the Botswana Power Corpora- could facilitate Tlou’s longer term strate- million tons to 3.8 million tons per annum.
tion is the current supplier of power at 11 gy of expansion beyond the current Lese-
kV that is stepped down to 400 V, 50 Hz, di project area. New test work for Kihabe deposit on
3-phase. And the 600kW plant will be an the cards
upgrade of a 350kW plant that is under Orapa gas supply tender issued
construction is expected to be commis- Mount Burgess says another test will be
sioned by the end of April 2021, once Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has done to confirm its recent announcement
upgraded, the Solar PV Plant will have a issued a tender for supply and delivery confirming the host mineral for Vanadium
total capacity of 950kW. of natural gas to the Orapa 90MW power at the Kihabe deposit was Descloizite.
plant.
BD undertakes Thorny River second According to the company, recent com-
stage drilling The power plant is to provide power to munication with Naples University con-
the Orapa diamond mine, currently run- firmed that mineralogical test work on
Botswana Diamonds has begun drilling ning on intermittent grid power and emer- the iron hydroxide portion will have to be
programme on its Thorny River diamond gency diesel generation. conducted at another university in Italy or
prospect, in South Africa’s Limpopo prov- in England.
ince, following the discovery of the River However shareholders - Anglo American
kimberlite pipe, as the company upgrades PLC, owner of the De Beers and gov- “With COVID 19 restrictions, a definitive
the potential of the property. ernment has publicly stated objective to time frame for the completion of this test
move to cleaner fuel sources. work cannot currently be estimated. The
On the other hand an area with a similar Company will update shareholders once
geological and geophysical footprint im- Meanwhile Tlou Energy could be ideally able to do so,” said Jan Forrester, Mount
mediately to the east of the River Pipe suited to assist with meeting their cleaner Burgess Company Secretary.
has been identified and analysis suggests energy objectives.
potential for a larger kimberlite body than He further highlighted that the company
already identified. Shumba secure Tati solar project rights has received enquiries regarding recent
test work to confirm the host mineral for
Meanwhile Botswana Diamonds entered Shumba Energy has secured rights for its Germanium on the Kihabe-Nxuu Project.
into a cooperation agreement to fund ex- 100 MW Tati solar project near the city of
ploration of its prospecting licence assets Francistown. Forrester said the test work is now re-
in Botswana with Diamexstrat Botswana, quired to be conducted on the iron hy-
which in turn has an alliance agreement The company is currently in the late stage droxide portion to determine the host
with Burgundy Diamond Mines. of developing Phase one of a 50 MW So- mineral for Germanium.
www.botswanaminingreview.com
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 5
Cover Story
De Beers rough diamonds output drops
…Orapa records 24% fall due to
lower grade feed
D
e Beers’ first quarter rough In Namibia production decreased by 34 midstream, and renewed confidence by
diamond production decreased percent to 0.3 million carats, primarily the midstream in response to the return
by seven percent to 7.2 million as the Mafuta vessel was under planned of consumer demand for diamond jewelry
carats, the company’s statistics has re- maintenance and another vessel re- in the US and China in the second half of
vealed. mained demobilised as part of the re- 2020,” said De Beers.
sponse to lower demand implemented in
According to authorities at the company Q3 2020. Meanwhile the first quarter rough dia-
the development was driven by operation- mond sales totaled 13.5 million carats,
al challenges, including excessive rainfall Meanwhile South Africa’s production in- 12.7 million carats on a consolidated
in Southern Africa and a COVID-19-re- creased by 55 percent to 1.2 million car- basis from three sights, compared with
lated shutdown in Canada, as well as ats due to planned treatment of higher 8.9 million carats (8.3 million carats on
planned maintenance in Namibia. grade ore from the final cut of the open a consolidated basis) from two Sights in
pit. On the other had Canada’s produc- Q1 2020 and 6.9 million carats (6.4 million
The data shows that Botswana’s produc- tion decreased by 16 percent to 0.7 carats on a consolidated basis) from two
tion decreased by 12 percent to 5.0 mil- million carats, primarily as a result of a Sights in Q4 2020.
lion carats, driven by a 24 percent reduc- COVID-19-related suspension of opera-
tion at Orapa due to a lower grade feed to tions in February. De Beers further said the company’s full
the plant in response to heavy rainfall and year production guidance is unchanged
operational issues, including continued “Demand for rough diamonds in Q1 2021 at 32-34 million carats (100% basis), sub-
power supply disruptions. recovered to pre-Covid-19 levels reflect- ject to trading conditions and the extent
ing the replenishment of the depleted of further COVID-19-related disruption.
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6 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.com
General News
Giyani Metals project makes headway
A
uthorities at Giyani Metals have ing been collected from 69 holes and 837 tifying the contrasts in density between
revealed that the company is final assay results having been received the high-grade manganese pods and the
gaining momentum and exper- from SGS Laboratories in Randfontein, barren clay and silt-rich host material.
tise as it advances K.Hill Manganese proj- South Africa.
ect. “Giyani has commissioned a more con-
“This enables us to commence resource ventional resistivity orientation pro-
Robin Birchall, Chief Executive Officer of extension drilling activities at K.Hill and gramme for Otse, which is ongoing and
Giyani Metals said the progress will drive the 2021 exploration programme at Otse. expected to be completed in early April.
the company towards its next phase of With the completion of the reserve drill- This programme will aim to identify a re-
development and ultimately production. ing, we will swiftly move forward with the sistivity signature over known mineralisa-
resource engineers to compile our maid- tion.
Over the past six months, the company en reserve,” said Birchall.
completed both a $7.5-million private “The two geophysical techniques, GPR
placement and a $11.5-million bought The drilling results have validated Giyani’s and resistivity, will then be considered and
deal. prior work and existing resource model, the preferred method will be deployed on
as this year’s exploration programmes the larger area surrounding the existing
The transactions comes as Giyani has at K.Hill commence with access clear- historical pits. Anomalies will be followed
completed the K.Hill manganese proj- ing and drill pad preparation for the K.Hill up with reverse circulation drilling,” said
ect reserve infill drilling programme and resource extension drilling programme Birchall.
has started the 2021 exploration pro- presently ongoing.
gramme at its Otse prospect.
In addition, a geophysics programme is
According to the company, the reserve in- planned for Otse, where ground pene-
fill drilling consists of 89 holes, totalling 3 trating radar (GPR) has previously been
310.5 m, resulting in 2 586 samples hav- identified as a technique capable of iden-
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Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 7
General News
Lesedi power project gears up momentum
Z
ismo Engineering, Opti Power The proposed transmission line is the key in South Africa, whose core business in-
has recently been awarded to unlocking our independently certified cludes the construction of substations,
transmission line and substation gas reserves and contingent resources power lines and fibre optic networks.
construction tender respectively for Tlou as well as our solar potential,” said Tlou
Energy’s Lesedi Power Project in Serowe. Energy’s Managing Director, Tony Gilby Located approximately 100km from the
emphasizing that the local and broader existing electricity grid Lesedi project’s
On completion of the power station con- market is significantly short on sources of first stage of development will be the
struction, the project will be positioned to cleaner energy. erection of wooden poles fitted with an
sale electricity in Botswana. overhead 66kV transmission line.
“Our objective remains on track to start
In addition, Tlou Energy is also working production with a measured approach in Meanwhile substations will be installed at
on two large exploration areas - Mamba order to minimise risk and cost of capital,” Lesedi and Serowe and the Lesedi sub-
and Boomslang. said Gilby adding that once the initial gas station will integrate the generation assets
and solar production is up and running, with the transmission line and the Serowe
Focused on delivering cleaner electricity modular and low risk expansion is the ob- substation will tie in with Botswana Power
in Botswana and Southern Africa using jective. Corporation’s existing infrastructure.
gas and solar power, the company looks
forward to subsequent commencement With funds in place to commence con- According to Tlou Energy, the transmis-
of construction. struction, Tlou intends to start work on sion line route has been surveyed and
the ground as soon as possible and there- full environmental approval is already in
“We are delighted with the response to by begin to unlock Tlou’s potential. place.
our tender and look forward to working
with our new local contractor Zismo and Zismo is a Botswana based electrical en- Further to that, there will be installation of
OptiPower, to connect our Lesedi power gineering, contracting, automation and generation assets at Lesedi plus commis-
project to the grid at Serowe. refurbishment company while OptiPower sioning and testing.
is a division of Murray & Roberts based
8 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.com
General News
Lucara, HB extends supply agreement
L
ucara Diamond recently has entered into a In addition a streamlined supply chain that achieves alignment be-
24-month extension of its definitive supply tween Lucara and HB to maximize the value of each +10.8 carat dia-
agreement with HB Antwerp (HB), for all diamonds mond produced at Karowe.
produced in excess of 10.8 carats in size from Karowe Dia-
mond Mine. “More than a supply agreement, this collaboration structurally em-
beds a new transparent and sustainable way of working in the dia-
According to the company, diamonds in excess of 10.8 mond value chain. For the first time, different partners of the value
carats in size account for approximately 70 percent of Lu- chain are fully aligned, sharing data and information throughout the
cara’s annual revenues. process from mine to consumer,” said Oded Mansori, Chief Execu-
tive Officer of HB Antwerp.
Lucara made a deliberate decision not to tender any of its
+10.8 carat inventory after early March 2020 amidst the un-
certainty caused by the global crisis, though has Karowe
mine remained fully operational throughout the COVID-19
pandemic.
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Mining Review | April - June 2021 9
General News
Mont Burgess discovers rare mineral species
I
nternational laboratory technicians ducted on the Kihabe Deposit Vanadium The hype at Mont Burgess over base met-
have confirmed existence of rare was not always considered to be of pri- als explorations also comes after govern-
mineral species at Mont Burgess’ mary importance and not all drill holes ment renewed the company’s prospect-
Kihabe Deposit. The development comes were assayed for Vanadium because of ing licence of Kihabe/Nxuu during the last
on the backdrop of the upward spiraling the then prevailing low Vanadium price,” quarter of 2020.
copper prices, which have motivated re- said Mont Burgess, Chief Executive Offi-
valuation of mineral resource estimate at cer, Nigel Forrester. The renewal was the second for pros-
Kihabe deposit. pecting licence PL 43/2016, for a further
Forrester further said previous test work two years, to 31 December 2022.
According to the company, encouraging conducted on the totally oxidized Nxuu
results from mineralogical test work re- Deposit, seven kilometres to the east of Under the Mines and Minerals Act, pros-
cently conducted by the Department of the Kihabe Deposit also confirmed that pecting licences are issued for an initial
Earth Sciences, Naples University, Italy Vanadium was hosted in Descloizite. three year period with the right to apply
and ALS Laboratories, Western Australia for further two year renewals before any
on samples containing Vanadium from In the first quarter of the year, the com- extensions are applied for.
the oxide zone of the Kihabe Deposit, pany has done new assessments on Ki-
have shown that the dominant host for habe deposit due to the increasing cop-
Vanadium is the lead-zinc-vanadium ox- per prices.
ide mineral Descloizite.
In addition, the company also announced
Descloizite is a rare mineral species con- that increasing silver prices had stimu-
sisting of basic lead and zinc vanadate, lated further in- depth review of all holes
crystallizing in the orthorhombic crystal it has drilled into the two Kihabe depos-
system and isomorphous with olivenite. it silver domains.
“Over various drilling campaigns con-
10 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comGeneral News
US$6bn giant diamond mine on the cards
D
ebswana has announced plans to build the world’s the 1970s,.“It’s a huge undertaking,” she said.
largest underground diamond mine at Jwaneng
expected to gobble 65 billion pula (US$6 billion). Meanwhile the board of Debswana – a 50/50 joint venture be-
tween De Beers and Botswana — is yet to make a final decision
Thabo Balopi, Debswana’s Head of Transformation and In- on how to finance the project, according to head of technical
novation said the underground mine will have more than 360 services Len Dimbungu.
kilometers (224 miles) of tunnel development and will hit full
production by 2034. The last expansion at Jwaneng had a 24 billion pula budget and
transformed the mine into one of the world’s largest open-pit
Balopi further said the underground mine will have a capacity of diamond operations.
as much as nine million carats per year, extending Jwaneng’s
lifespan by 20 years, as an early access decline will be in place Jwaneng has been in operation since 1982 and expanded sev-
by 2023. eral times as its resources declined over the years.
“We are still doing the studies toward transforming to an un- Meanwhile the company plans to make savings of at least 2-bil-
derground producer, which is a very different environment, with lion pula through the restructuring of parts of the organisation,
different capabilities and mindset,” he said. this year, Balopi said.
According to acting managing director Lynette Armstrong going Debswana’s parent company De Beers last year adopted a new
underground will be a “hurdle” for the group, which has oper- business transformation model which sought to restructure
ated exclusively as an open-pit miner since its establishment in mines, expand in jewellery and overhaul diamond sales.
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Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 11General News
Botswana searches for ‘new diamonds’ to
diversify economy
…manufacturers in Botswana are making frantic efforts to find export markets
F
aced with declining demand for gest an increase in the value of diamond linked to (perceived) inferiority,” Sankolo-
its diamonds, Botswana, Africa’s exports, authorities are worried that heavy ba told Zenger News.
top producer of the gems, is re- reliance on the gems is not sustainable.
cording modest success in its attempts “The potential for Botswana manufac-
to diversify the economy and reduce re- It is for this reason that manufacturers in tured products to perform well in other
liance on the minerals. the country are now aggressively seeking markets is quite impressive,” she said.
export markets.
Demand for the gems has been reducing Secret Kalahari director Johannes Vis-
over the years, a situation that has wors- Apart from the pandemic igniting man- agie, whose company Donkey Milk In-
ened during the COVID-19 pandemic— ufacturers’ appetite for export, the re- dustries is already exporting donkey milk
which also severely affected the tourism cent African Continental Free Trade products to the U.S., shared his views.
sector, the country’s second-biggest rev- Agreement (AfCFTA) has also spurred the
enue earner. enthusiasm. “COVID-19 has dealt a deadly blow to
small businesses in Botswana, and the
The latest figures from Statistics Botswa- Botswana Export Manufacturers Associ- only way out is to look for markets outside
na for January indicate that Botswana’s ation is also eyeing the American, Asian of Botswana,” Visagie told Zenger News.
total export value rose by 43.7 percent— and European markets. “Our products are high-end, and we are
approximately $239,800 from $548,890 looking for niche markets. Customers val-
recorded for December 2020 to $788,690 Mmantlha Sankoloba, chief executive of ue donkey milk for its high cosmetic prop-
during the month under review. Botswana Export Manufacturers Associ- erties,” he said.
ation, is optimistic that Botswana’s prod-
Exports from non-diamonds—mainly ma- ucts are ready to compete globally, as the Visagie is yet to establish exactly how
chinery and electrical equipment, salt and search for an alternative export revenue much product his company can export
soda, gold, and other goods—reached earner goes on. per annum, but he is soon rolling out an
$42,589. aggressive advertising campaign.
“The facts around Botswana’s product
Although the January exports figures sug- quality status are often misconstrued and “It is too soon to establish trends because
12 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comwe are still very new in the market,” he pa Limited, a company manufacturing the past five years, as a proportion of the
said. sanitary pads, said he lost more than GDP, as uncertainties have enveloped the
$185,000 setting up a factory that was to diamond trade.
“The aim is to have enough variants of supply both local and export market.
products with good marketing to reach Moje bemoaned the lack of support to In February, he challenged the business
$1 million turnover per annum. We have local manufacturers before seeking mar- community to rally behind the Bank of
only two products on Amazon. We have kets outside the borders. Botswana’s expansionary monetary and
just added another six to make eight.” fiscal policies to boost prospects for eco-
“Botswana manufacturers are competing nomic recovery.
He intends to spend $16,445 to upgrade on an uneven playing ground,” Moje told
their marketing level on Amazon from “sil- Zenger News, noting that the government “The redesign of industrial and trade pol-
ver” to “platinum” to give his milk prod- has allowed substandard products to icies to promote exports, the transition
ucts better visibility on the retail giant’s dominate the local market. towards the digital economy, greater fi-
platform. nancial inclusion and broader participa-
Sankoloba said although the minerals tion by all segments of society in produc-
Another celebrated exporter from the sector has dominated Botswana’s econ- tive economic activities, should result in
country is the Botswana Vaccine Insti- omy over the past years, with efforts to fast-tracking the recovery, as well as en-
tute Limited, which manufactures animal diversify the economy, certain products hancing economic resilience and moving
vaccines exported to the Southern Africa have shown tremendous potential. the economy to a high-income status,”
Development Community, West and East said Pelaelo, while launching a monetary
Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. “The furniture sector is a great example policy in Gaborone.
of a product to pick from. We have a very
Other exporting success stories in- organized yet competitive furniture sector The government is also bolstering the ex-
clude Chrolide Exide Botswana, a bat- in Botswana, producing a range of prod- port initiative.
tery manufacturing company exporting ucts from household, school to office fur-
to South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zim- niture.” The former minister of finance, Thapelo
babwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Matsheka, while presenting the country’s
and Angola. Sankoloba said the local market is 2021/22 fiscal year proposal in February,
small—Botswana’s population is around said the promotion of export-led growth
Under tourism products, Botswana ex- 2.3 million—and cannot sustain the desire requires improved competitiveness and
ports aluminum boats manufactured for growth, hence an endless search for productivity, focusing on reducing the
by Aliboats to South Africa, Namibia, new markets. costs of domestic production and remov-
Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and ing trade barriers.
Europe. “We have established great working re-
lations with foreign counterparts from “Hence, competitiveness will be the over-
Francistown Knitters exports school wear, across Africa, U.S., Europe, and Asia,” riding criteria to gauge all government
corporate wear, security wear, industrial she said. policies and measures. For export-led
and sportswear to Zimbabwe and Zam- growth to be achieved, the criteria must
bia. Recently Botswana Export Manufacturers be applied systematically to the review
Association signed a collaboration agree- of all government decisions and all major
Though these companies and many oth- ment with Indian Importers Chambers of policy frameworks, systems, and proce-
ers are making headway to capture for- Commerce & Industry. dures in the economic, labor, and social
eign markets, others have found the go- areas,” said Matsheka.
ing tough. Last year Bank of Botswana governor
Moses Pelaelo announced that the econ- Source: Zenger
Otsile Moje, the owner of Euclea Cris- omy’s export potential has shrunk over
www.botswanaminingreview.com
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 13Industry Trends & Technologies
SKF tachometers expand options for gathering
condition monitoring data
T
he new handheld tachometers one hand. TKRT 21 uses laser or contact
extend SKF’s range of basic measurement to determine rotational and
condition monitoring equipment – linear speeds. This allows fast, easy mea-
giving technical staff more options to mea- surement at a safe distance from machin-
sure critical machine data. ery.
SKF has extended its range of tachometers, The instrument offers high speed and dis-
which can help manufacturing companies tance versatility in several measurement
to optimize their condition monitoring on modes. The TKRT 21 is supplied with a
their production operations. basic set of contact adaptors, works with
standard or rechargeable batteries and has
Three new devices, including an all-me- a large LCD screen.
chanical model, join SKF’s portfolio of basic
condition monitoring equipment. TKRT 31 is a more advanced tachometer
that measures rotational and linear speeds,
The handheld devices monitor conditions as well as distances. It is supplied with a
such as rotational and linear speed to help full set of contact adaptors. A large colour
maintenance staff spot emerging mechani- TFT screen displays measured values clear-
cal problems in rotating machinery. ly for the user. Both the TKRT 31 and TKRT
21 allow easy measurement in areas where
“Our condition monitoring equipment helps straight-line access is difficult by using a
plant workers reduce the chance of cata- laser.
strophic failure and help to minimise main-
tenance costs,” said Sylvain Humbert, The TKRT 25M mechanical tachometer uses
Product Development Manager for Instru- precise contact measurement to determine
ments at SKF. rotational and linear speed of equipment
such as engines, shafts and conveyor belts.
“It also helps them to order parts in ad-
vance, schedule maintenance procedures It requires no batteries and has a large, component health, which can help reduce
and plan other repairs during downtime.” easy-to-read dial gauge display. The TKRT maintenance costs and increase efficiency
25M is supplied with a full set of contact and profitability.
Two of the devices, the TKRT 21 and TKRT adaptors.
31, are digital tachometers, while the TKRT For instance, replacement parts can be or-
25M is mechanical. All are compact, have Data gathered by these tachometers can dered in advance, rather than waiting until
large displays, and can be operated with give a deeper insight into machine and they have failed.
NCB Procurement Services PTY LTD is an established mining
supplies company in South Africa.
Below find a list of products rendered, bearing in mind that if
not listed below, feel free to forward your query:
Bell Housings | Plant , HDV. | Hydraulic valves | Conveyor Rollers
Cylinders | Electric Motors | Electric Tools | Fire Sleeve | Grease Pumps
Hand Tools | HDPE Piping | Hydraulic hoses and fittings | Hydraulic
Motors | Pumps | Hydraulic Tools | Lifting Equipment | Lubrication
Equipment | Lubrication Liquids | Oil Pumps | Power Packs | S/S Tubing
Solenoid Valves | Steel Wire Products | Thermal Insulation Products
Water Valves | ACDC electrical accessories | PFERD cutting accessories
PPE | Medical supplies , aid and prevention. Disinfection tunnel
Reg No: 2020/158575/07, Vat: 4340290792 | South Africa | ncbprocurementservices@gmail.com | Nick: +27 72 988 5030
14 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comAlways
Visible
Improve your mining operation
with dynamic Ctrack Solutions.
Features
Driver Identification & Driving Fuel Level & Consumption Onboard Weighing
Behaviour Monitoring Monitoring
Breathalyser
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Option
Collision Avoidance Sensors
www.ctrack.co.za | sales@ctrack.co.za | Call Centre: +27 (0)860 333 444
www.botswanaminingreview.com
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 15Botswana Oil harnessing extractive industries
potential
Botswana Oil CEO
As mining is the ‘economic heartbeat’, Botswana Oil (BOL) is playing a critical role in ensuring the security of pe-
troleum products supply for the industry’s extraction projects, major activities and equipment. The state-owned
entity is tasked with a strategic role to ensure there is adequate fuel supply and facilitate citizen participation in the
mining sector. Having direct involvement in creating opportunities for the private sector and citizen participation in
the mining and extractive industry is also key to BOL.
S ince BOL was established in 2013,
it has been dealing with mining
companies to drive citizen facili-
tation frameworks in the energy sector so
the business from citizen companies.
In the long term, Tshekedi foresees the
direct engagements on security of sup-
The process started in December 2020 with
the development of feasibility studies, the
current phase involves the identified devel-
opers coming up with bankable feasibility
as to merge the two industries and ensure ply front as it is evident in the recent crisis and detailed designs as well as economic
citizen participation by providing technical (abrupt fuel shortages across the country modeling in a phase termed RFP (Request
expertise and knowledge to ensure seam- due to refineries breakdown in South Afri- for proposals) development.
less support, in their bid to transfer these ca), the mining companies’ production were
services to the citizens. This also ensures going to be affected but BOL stepped in to According to Tshekedi the process will be
low risk and failure by providing requisite provide requisite support to ensure contin- completed in November 2021, all proposals
back up to the citizen companies. uous flow of products to the mining com- will be submitted for approval by govern-
panies. ment and BOL. Once both parties are sat-
“The petroleum sector provides about 60% isfied with the proposals then the construc-
of the country’s energy requirements, ma- BOL is emphatically wants decisive on sup- tion of the facility will commence in 2022
jority being economic activity especially in port to citizen companies so as to deliver which is expected to take four to five years
the mining sector. The value proposition products to the mining companies in the to complete. The facility will be built around
of BOL to the mining industry is the assur- next coming years. the central or northern part, pending confir-
ance on the security of supply front that it mation of the specific location site with the
will always be there to ensure supply in the “BOL has strategic partnerships with ac- required resources such as coal, gas and
advent of any challenges. In terms of emer- ademic institutions to develop skills that water.
gency supply protocols, the mining sector will be required for the mining projects to
ranks high thus being highly prioritised due support forthcoming extractive projects In conclusion, Tshekedi said, “In the long
to its role as a critical government organ,” that BOL is working on, including the Ex- term, government’s aspiration is to venture
said Meshack Tshekedi, BOL Chief Execu- ploring Gas to Liquid (GTL) and Coal to Liq- into the upstream activities which includes
tive Officer. uid (CTL) technologies as a means to attain exploration as the country largely remains
Botswana’s fuel self-sufficiency. This will be unexplored especially for energy and gas
According to Tshekedi, BOL has direct a major project and undertaking, the size of opportunities. The government is also
dealings with mining companies to develop the mine that the extraction facilities will be mindful of the pressure to migrate towards
various solutions as aforementioned espe- developed, in order to supply the coal or cleaner fuels, which means there will explo-
cially in relation to transformation of their gas to liquid will be big and requires strate- ration of cleaner technologies of extraction
energy services towards citizen companies. gic engagements with identified partner for and conversion of the fuels, so as to also
However, BOL deals indirectly with mining the possible developments of mining ven- remove harmful gases such as sulphur and
companies through citizen companies in tures. The facilities will require electricity for carbon dioxide.”
fuel supply so that they do not directly take the conversion plant,” added Tshekedi.
16 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comProfile
Unitrans Botswana has been operating for 52 years and has depots in Lobatse, Gaborone, Palapye and Francistown
Unitrans Africa has been operating bulk handling We also offer total material
equipment for most of the large mining groups. handling solutions, including the
Some of the great successes include the following:
operations of road trains in Africa for more than
35 years, having developed safe high-payload
combinations using Performance Based Systems.
- Clearing and Stripping
We also transport and distribute explosives and
supply ancillary mining equipment allowing for a - Load and Haul
total mining service provision.
Innovation and technology create opportunities to
- Haul Road Maintenance
streamline production and save costs. Unitrans
Africa is proud of its innovation to create greater - Stockpile Management
payloads, reduction in fleet requirements,
decreases in environmental emissions and an
increase in safety standards. The benefits and
- Rehabilitation
innovative approach offered by our unique road
train capability extends into other areas. - Inbound and Outbound Logistics
VALUE ADDED SERVICES:
• Transportation of mining explosives | • Personnel transportation | • Workshop facilities
• Store facilities | • Wash-bay facilities | • Tyre-bay facilities | • Workshop maintenance services
• 24/7 Vehicle and Machine Breakdown assistance callout services | • Fleet Management Services
www.botswanaminingreview.com
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 17
Contact details: brian.swift@unitrans.africa (Brian Swift – MD – Unitrans Botswana)Industry Trends & Technologies
Atlas Copco’s surface rock drill is solid
Combining an ergonomic design with smart technology, Atlas Copco’s Surface Rock Drill (SRD) range
delivers everything that is required from this pneumatic tool to keep productivity high and operating
costs low - reliability, efficiency, safety, low maintenance and serviceability.
A
tlas Copco Power Technique’s health, Atlas Copco has developed a pneu- the tool is in operation. The fact that drilling
Business Line Manager for matic Dust Collector for the efficient remov- and flushing happens simultaneously can
Portable Products, David Stan- al, directly at the source, of silica dust that increase productivity by up to 17 percent.
ford, underlines Atlas Copco’s zero-com- is produced during the drilling and breaking
promise approach when it comes to opera- process. Powered by compressed air and Engineered to perform optimally even un-
tor comfort and safety. “Atlas Copco places utilising vacuum technology, the Dust Col- der the toughest of working environments,
operators at the core of its tool design, lector maintains dust levels below the per- these powerful and robust Atlas Copco
incorporating standard features such as a missible exposure limit, consuming no more pneumatic rock drills are ideal for drill-
Solid Body (SB) concept, a SOFTSTART™ than 12 litres of air per second. Suitable for ing and breaking applications in the con-
trigger, HAPS™ (Hand and Arm Protection indoor and outdoor use, this unit’s recy- struction and quarry sectors. Fitted with
Systems) and a pneumatic Dust Collector clable collection bags lasts for an 8-hour eco-friendly power packs, several drills can
into our comprehensive product portfolio.” shift and the semi-automatic filter cleaning also be conveniently and cost-effectively
mechanism requires very little maintenance. operated with a single compressor.
Owing to the ergonomic Solid or Single
Body design, Atlas Copco’s light-weight The pneumatic Surface Rock Drills also Atlas Copco offers a professional after-sales
20kg and 25kg Surface Rock Drills boast feature Assisted Flushing Technology. service portfolio that includes high-quali-
a world-class power-to-weight ratio and This enables the operator to simply open ty Air Line accessories such as air hoses,
perfect balance, enhancing handle-ability, the flashing valve to activate an additional hose nipples, couplings, water separators
comfort and safety. Furthermore, the solid flow of compressed air through a pathway and Air Oil lubricants, to support its SRD
housing eliminates leakages and increases in the cylinder to flush the drill hole while pneumatic tool range.
cylinder lifecycle while fewer moving parts
mean less wear. As these one-piece ma-
chines are also easy to assemble and dis-
assemble, service is expedited, thus maxi-
mizing uptime.
Operators have full control thanks to the
two-step SOFTSTART™ trigger which en-
ables them to start a cut with surgical preci-
sion, allowing for seamless operation even
in difficult working conditions.
“High vibration and noise levels are leading
causes of operator fatigue which in turn, in-
creases the risk of injury and curbs produc-
tivity,” notes Stanford. “We have introduced
HAPS™ to substantially reduce vibration
levels on our SRD pneumatic handheld
tool range. Furthermore, the tool’s piston
switches on air-cushions on both ends of
the cylinder, thereby almost fully eliminat-
ing metal-to-metal contact when working
off-load and subsequently further shrink-
ing vibration as well as reducing wear. This
substantial reduction in vibration makes it
possible to extend working hours up to six-
fold.” According to Stanford, the vibration
levels of the new generation SRD 25 rock
drill is an impressive 50 percent lower com-
pared to its predecessor.
Atlas Copco has also diminished the noise
levels of the SRD tools by up to 75 percent
with the development of the wear-resistant
polyurethane silencer. Putting this into per-
spective, Stanford says that this equates to
a 2dB reduction in noise which can make a
substantial difference, especially when sev-
eral drills are operating simultaneously.
Taking further cognisance of operators’
18 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comRegional News
AEC pleads with Total on Mozambique’s LNG
A frican Energy Chamber (AEC) has bemoaned Total’s
Force Majeure declaration on Mozambique LNG, calling
for dialogue and a global firewall against terrorism.
“The energy industry continues to grapple with multiple insecurity
issues, community engagement, climate change, energy poverty,
greater cooperation between stakeholders is required to find bene-
ficial solutions,” said Ayuk.
The Chamber has encourage the parties involved to have a better
and more open conversation to find a practical and pragmatic com- However believes putting the project to a stop is the most sensible
monsense solution for the force majeure event to cease and for the solution. If Total does halt gas production, “we are convinced the
project to resume. junta will not hesitate to resort to forced labor,” said Total’s Chair-
man and CEO Patrick Pouyanné.
“While the force majeure declaration by Total is a legal instrument
at its disposition to procure its objectives and compromises with And yet AEC’s beliefs are opposite.
its lenders and the government, we firmly believe that Total will do
whatever it takes to stand with Mozambique and its people. Total is “When we stop as an industry, we nurture the hate speech against
not only an international company. It is an African company as well, energy projects in Africa, and we give those “haters” instruments to
as it is one of its most prominent investors and employers. criticize further our good-faith efforts to make Africa better for Afri-
cans. This is not the time to allow for this. This is the time to make
“Total’s connection to the African people goes far beyond its in- a stand, find solutions, and continue exploiting our resources,” said
vestments at a macro level. While many other multinational com- Ayuk.
panies have left the continent, Total has remained, and we believe
this commitment to the continent and Mozambique specifically will
continue to remain.”
NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber said
Mozambique continues to be one of the most attractive options to
produce gas in the world due to its carbon neutrality, representing a
viable solution for climate change.
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www.botswanaminingreview.com
Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 19Regional News
Three countries account for 31% of all gold
mined in 2020
C
hina’s ability to control the
coronavirus pandemic and return
to normal economic activities is
reflected in its 2020 gold mine production.
Data analyzed by Finbold, an international
media house indicates that China account-
ed for 380 metric tons or 11.9 percent share
of the global gold production in 2020.
Australia’s production was 320 metric tons,
representing 10 percent of the global share,
while Russia ranks third at 9.4 percent or
300 metric tons. The three countries cumu-
latively represent 31 percent of all the gold
mine production in 2020. In total, 3,200
metric tons of gold were produced last year
globally.
Furthermore, Australia ranks top as the
country with the highest gold reserves at
an estimated 10,000 metric tons, followed
by Russia at 7,500 metric tons. The United
States ranks a distant third at 3,000 metric
tons in gold reserves.
The amount of the remaining gold reserves
varies as it might reduce due to increased
mining or rise as more mining ores are dis-
covered. The numbers are based on the
data provided by the United States Geolog-
ical Survey (USGS).
The 2020 global gold mine production
faced unprecedented challenges caused
by the coronavirus pandemic. Most gold
mining operations were suspended after
securities imposed wide-scale lockdowns.
However, once lockdown measures were
eased towards the third quarter, production
resumed in most countries.
China’s margin with second-placed Austra-
lia is not big, but the Asian country tops the
list potentially due to its pandemic’s han-
dling. The country successfully managed
to control the health crisis giving the green
light to the resumption of economic activi- with the United States to rank top since stock market crash.
ties, including gold mining. The production most of the precious metal is consumed
was also motivated by the country’s high locally. Elsewhere, Russia’s share is also Elsewhere, estimations indicate that coun-
demand for gold through by-products like highly fuelled by the increasing possibility of tries like Australia and Russia potentially
jewelry and ornaments. more sanctions from the U.S. The sanctions have significant gold reserves but the figure
mean that state banks are at risk of being might drastically change. There is a possi-
The high production comes in the backdrop frozen out of dealing in U.S. dollar-denom- bility of the reserves reducing further due
of the Chinese gold mining industry receiv- inated assets. to increased mining. At the same time, the
ing increased foreign and domestic invest- reserves will potentially rise as more mining
ment. Worth noting is that China managed Despite the pandemic, financial market ores are discovered.
to remain in the pole position despite the events partly inspired production after gold
heavy and tighter environmental policies as an asset hit a new all-time high by trad- Despite the expected variations, indus-
imposed by the national government. ing above $2,000 in August. The record try players are still concerned on what will
price offered a window for increased prof- happen in the event current reserves are
Political factors are also a driver of 2020 its for production companies fuelling min- fully exhausted. Although the possibility of
gold production. For China, the country ap- ing activity. There was also interest in gold mining all gold in the near future is rare, the
pears to have put aside the trade tension as investors were looking for an alternative precious metals’ production will likely keep
source of wealth following the 2020 Q1 decreasing.
20 Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 www.botswanaminingreview.comIntroducing the SOLARFLOOD
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Botswana Mining Review | April - June 2021 21You can also read
