Diamond Mining News

Debmarine Namibia, a subsidiary of Anglo American's diamond unit De Beers, on Monday reported a 13% drop in production to 1.125 million carats last year as demand slumped during the COVID-19 pandemic.Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, and is among the top 10 producers of gem-quality diamonds globally. Production, however, has been severely hampered by weak demand on the international market.Debmarine's revenue fell 5% to 6.6 billion Namibian dollars ($427 million), the company said.

The world's largest, and first custom-built, diamond recovery vessel, to be owned by Debmarine Namibia, will feature an advanced power system by the Swiss company ABB.The vessel is being built by Damen at Damen Shipyards Mangalia on the Black Sea in Romania. The newbuild will be delivered to Debmarine Namibia, a joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group in 2022. De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company.Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world…

Alewijnse reports it has been awarded a contract to perform the complete electrical installation on board what will be the world’s newest and largest offshore diamond recovery vessel. Designated an additional mining vessel (AMV) by its owner De Beers Marine Namibia (Pty) Ltd, the ship will be the seventh member of the fleet of operator Debmarine Namibia.Alewijnse said it is once again working with the Damen Shipyards Group, this time at Damen Shipyard Mangalia in Romania. The first steel was cut for the vessel in May 2019 and now Alewijnse is preparing to start work on board.

Anyone who has been around the Offshore Oil and Gas or the Marine industries for long has heard of plans for mining various minerals located on or just below the seafloor. In fact, when Howard Hughes built the Glomar Explorer in 1972, the cover story for its true mission – recovering a Soviet submarine - was that the rig would be used to mine manganese nodules from the deep ocean floor. This cover story was so effective that it had the unintended consequence of stirring great interest in ocean mining among offshore companies and the general public.In the years since…

Namibia marine diamond mining company, Debmarine Namibia announced that its Board of Directors have approved the construction of the world’s first ever custom-built diamond recovery vessel.The new vessel is expected to cost US$468 million and represents the largest ever single investment in the marine diamond industry, said a press release from the marine diamond exploration 50/50 joint venture between the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group.The ship will become the seventh vessel in the Debmarine Namibia fleet and is scheduled to commence operations in 2022. On completion, the vessel is expected to add 500,000 carats annually to Debmarine Namibia’s production…

Wärtsilä and De Beers Marine have signed an agreement for the replacement of generating sets aboard De Beers’ diamond mining ship Debmar Pacific. The vessel, originally built in the 1970s, will be outfitted with new Wärtsilä gensets to extend its lifetime and improve reliability.Debmar Pacific is engaged in diamond mining operations off the coast of Namibia. With modern gensets, the lifetime of the vessel is extended and its specific fuel oil consumption (SFOC) is reduced. In addition…

Kleven signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Namibian offshore diamond mining company De Beers Marine Namibia for the building of an offshore vessel purpose-designed to support seabed mining operations. Designed by Marin Teknikk of Norway, the 176m ship will be the longest vessel to date to be built at the Kleven yard in Ulsteinvik, Norway. The MoU follows Kleven's June 2016 delivery of SS Nujoma to De Beers Marine Namibia. "With unrivalled sample quality and a fuel consumption 30 percent lower than expected, the SS Nujoma has been a success story for us from the start.

Transnet National Port Authority women flew the flag high at the Women in Transport Awards which took place at the Durban ICC on 18 October 2016. The Women in Transport Awards is a collaborative platform co-located with the African Ports Evolution conference and exhibition, and is dedicated to recognising excellence within the rail and maritime industry in Africa. The prestigious awards ceremony was attended by a number of decision makers, business leaders and various stakeholders from the transport and maritime industry, with Deputy Minister of Transport Lydia Sindisiwe Chikunga delivering the keynote address. TNPA’s Sylvia Siyo, who is an acting Ship Repair Manager in the Port of Durban, walked away with the Best Head of Department in Transport award.

The second of two Damen Shoalbuster 3009 multi-purpose workboats for SMIT Amandla Marine has been named in a ceremony at Damen Shipyards Cape Town, South Africa. With De Beers Group Services the end client, the Lady Sponsor for the occasion was Mrs Adri Nelson, Supply Chain Centre Manager for De Beers Group Services in Port Nolloth. Mrs Nelson has been integral to the newbuild programme in her role of managing the Northern Cape based supply chain centre for De Beers. Named the Aogatoa, the vessel is the second of two Shoalbusters 3009 ordered by SMIT Amandla Marine for the De Beers contract and built at Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT). The first, the Aukwatowa, was delivered in December 2015.

The naming ceremony for the first of the two Damen Shoalbusters 3009 being built for marine solutions specialist SMIT Amandla Marine at Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT), was held on Thursday, 29 October 2015. Mrs Jenny Coltman, Spouse of the Chairman of De Beers Group Services, named the vessel Aukwatowa. The Shoalbuster series of multi-purpose, shallow draught workboats are designed for inland and coastal waters. The 30 metre 3009S has a bollard pull of 24.5 tonnes and is fitted with a crane with a lifting capacity of up to 1.7 tonnes, making it suitable for towage, buoy-laying, pushing and all-round support duties. These new vessels will carry out supply and support work for the De Beers Group’s offshore diamond mining activities out of Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape.

Kimberlite deposits, igneous rock formations often containing diamonds, have been discovered in Antarctica, according to a report by Nature Communications. And though no diamonds have been discovered, researchers believe they are there, along with other valuable substances. Gold, platinum, copper, iron and coal have already been discovered in Antarctica, and diamond mining has reached many of the coldest regions globally. So is diamond mining in Antarctica a possibility, and how will it affect the commercial maritime industry? By way of the Antarctic Treaty, mining is currently forbidden in the area, and the ban is expected, though not entirely certain, to be extended to 2041.

A&P Tyne Ltd, part of UK’s A&P Group, was awarded the first phase of a multi-million dollar conversion contract involving the 14,793 grt Dock Express 20 by De Beers Marine (Pty) Ltd of South Africa. This 1983-built ship will arrive at the yard during August this year (2005) and remain for up to 11 months. On completion of the project the vessel will return to South African waters for the finishing touches to enable her to operate as a fully equipped diamond-mining vessel. This follows the successful delivery during 2004 of the !Gareip, which was converted by A&P Tyne for the same owner. Dave Skentelbery, Managing Director for projects…

Sonar Research and Development, or SRD, has completed an upgrade of systems used by De Beers Marine in their offshore diamond mining process. SRD’s latest SVS 3 sonar systems are now fully operational in DeBeers Marine exploration activities on their survey and sampling platforms, providing geologists with vital information about the diamond bearing strata on the ocean floor. The systems are being used off the west coast of Africa, in the Orange River Basin, South Namibia. De Beers Marine will be working closely with SRD to further develop applications of the technology for use in their wider diamond mining activities. SRD’s system is designed to provide De Beers Marine a bathymetric data set from which to examine mining efficiency, as well as its environmental impacts.

"Ship repair in the U.K. is looking positive for 2003" say the A&P Group, who has confirmed that all 14 of their dry docks are full with various vessels under repair, refit and conversion. A&P Tyne is currently hosting a number of ships including Stirling Shipmanagement's 2,270dwt offshore supply vessel Putford Enterprise, the 2,067dwt offshore supply vessel Pacific Banner owned by Swire Pacific Offshore, Boyd Line's 1,621grt Arctic Warrior and P&O Ferries' 20,446grt PO Kent. Across the river at A&P Tyne's Hebburn facility is Technip Offshore's 9,158grt diving support vessel CSO Wellservicer, which is due to leave the dry dock on January 12 .

The M.V. !Gariep has arrived at A&P’s Tyneside Hebburn Conversion Facility. The vessel departed Cape Town, South Africa on November 20 and will arrive Tyneside on December 23, 24 days ahead of schedule. The contract was won following significant international competition in August of this year. The new 300 tonne mid body fabrication block has now been completed five weeks ahead of schedule. This block has been assembled in the Hebburn fabrication facility and work is now undergoing installation of pipe work, ventilation trunking and other systems in preparation for the insertion of the mid body in dry-dock. The vessel is due to dry dock in mid January and the operation to insert the mid body will commence late January.