Name and Location
Venetia underground project, Limpopo, South Africa.

Client
De Beers Consolidated Mines South Africa (DBCM).

Project Description
The Venetia mine, which officially opened on August 14, 1992, is currently the largest producer of diamonds in South Africa and accounts for about 40% of the country’s total yearly diamond production.

The mine is currently an openpit operation; however, work started in late 2013 to build a new underground mining operation beneath the current operating openpit.

The new underground mine will extend the life of Venetia to beyond 2040 and replace the openpit production from 2021 as South Africa’s largest diamond mine. During the construction period between now and 2021, employement will peak at about 4 000. After 2021, the underground operation will support 6 626 jobs of which 1 482 will be in the mine and 5 143 elsewhere supporting mining activity.

Value
De Beers expects to invest about R20-billion in the Venetia underground mine from now to 2021, when the conversion from openpit to underground is expected to begin.

Duration
Underground operations will begin production in 2021.

Latest Developments
Construction of the Venetia underground mine was launched by President Jacob Zuma on October 22, 2013. The first sod was turned on the terrace where two vertical shafts and a decline shaft will be sunk to a depth of one kilometre to extend the life of South Africa’s biggest and most lucrative diamond mine.

Sixty kilometres of tunnelling will have to be constructed before the underground operation can start production, using massive mining techniques to produce 5.9-million tonnes a year of ore and providing employment for about 1 800 people for the next 22 years.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Murray and Roberts Cementation, Basil Read Civils, Conco, Sandvik and
Barloworld.

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
DBCM, email info@debeersgroup.com.
Murray and Roberts Cementation, tel +27 11 201 5000, fax +27 11 201 5500 or email info.cementation@murrob.com.
Basil Read Civils, tel +27 11 418 6300 or fax +27 11 418 6333.
Conco, tel +27 11 805 4281, fax +27 11 805 1132 or email conco@conco.co.za .
Sandvik, tel +27 11 929 5300
Barloworld, tel +27 11 445 1000 or fax +27 11 444 3643.