GABORONE – Debswana Mining Company, owned by De Beers and the Botswana government, said on Tuesday it has terminated a $1.3-billion contract with a unit of Australia's Thiess to extend the lifespan of its Jwaneng diamond mine and will carry out the project in-house.
Debswana, among the world’s largest diamond producers, declined to provide a reason for terminating the contract for the extension project, known as Cut 9, which was awarded to Majwe Mining in 2019.
The nine-year project is expected to extend the life of Debswana’s flagship mine to 2035, yielding an estimated 53-million carats of rough diamonds.
"The Cut 9 operation will transition to an owner-mining operation, with some of the key services and resources, such as labour, being provided by contractors/service providers to Jwaneng Mine," Debswana's head of corporate affairs, Rachel Mothibatsela, said in a statement.
Debswana originally signed a A$1.7-billion ($1.31-billion) contract with Majwe Mining, a joint venture 70% owned by Australian mining services firm Thiess and 30% held by citizen-owned firm Bothakga Burrow.
Debswana has been hit by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which has dented demand for diamonds, and the company's production fell 29% to 12.3-million carats in the first nine months of 2020.