Firestone Diamonds: Difference between revisions

Firestone Diamond Mining
	File:FSDlogo.png
Company type	Public company
Traded as	AIM: FDI
Industry	Mining
Headquarters	London, England, UK
Key people	Lucio Genovese, Non-Executive Chairman ; Stuart Brown, Chief Executive Officer
Products	Diamonds
Revenue	Pound sterling
Website	www.firestonediamonds.com

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Revision as of 10:58, 16 July 2014

Firestone Diamonds is an AIM-listed United Kingdom-based company, operating in Lesotho and Botswana.

Liqhobong Mine, Lesotho

The Liqhobong Diamond Mine (‘Liqhobong’ or the ‘Project’) in Lesotho is Firestone’s principal asset, and was acquired as a result of the acquisition of Kopane Diamond Developments plc in September 2010. Liqhobong is located at the head of the Liqhobong Valley in the Maluti Mountains of northern Lesotho and is operated by Liqhobong Mining Development Company (Proprietary) Limited (‘LMDC’), which is 75% owned by Firestone Diamonds and 25% owned by the government of Lesotho.

BK11 Mine, Botswana

The BK11 kimberlite mine is located in the Orapa kimberlite field in northern Botswana. BK11 is located approximately 7 kilometres southwest and 20 kilometres southeast of De Beers’ Letlhakane and Orapa mines, respectively, and is within 5 kilometres of Lucara’s new Karowe mine.

A resource of over 10 Mt at an average grade of 8.5 carats per hundred tonnes containing 1 million carats which remains to be exploited. Phase 1 of the BK11 production plant, which has a capacity of approximately 650,000 tonnes per annum, commenced in August 2010 and went on care and maintenance in February 2012. Phase 2 which included secondary and tertiary crushing circuits remains to be implemented when the mine exits becomes operational again.

The Board is considering various strategic alternatives for its Botswana operation, including disposal or joint venture.

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-{{Use British English|date=June 2011}}
+{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
 {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2011}}
 {{Infobox_Company |
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   company_slogan = N/A|
   location       =  London, England, UK |
-  key_people     = James Kenny, Chairman <br> Tim Wilkes, CEO <br>Tim Wilkes, Chief Operating Officer|
+  key_people     = Lucio Genovese, Non-Executive Chairman <br>Stuart Brown, Chief Executive Officer|
-  num_employees  = 73 (2006)||
+  num_employees  = ||
-  revenue        = [[Pound sterling|£]]598,290 (2006)|
+  revenue        = [[Pound sterling|Pound sterling]]|
-  Assets         = £27.670&nbsp;million (2006)|
+  Assets         = £118.19&nbsp;million (2014)|
   industry       = Mining|
   products       = Diamonds|
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 }}
-'''Firestone Diamonds''' is an [[Alternative_Investment_Market|AIM]]-listed United Kingdom-based company, operating in [[South Africa]] and [[Botswana]].
+'''Firestone Diamonds''' is an [[Alternative_Investment_Market|AIM]]-listed United Kingdom-based company, operating in [[Lesotho]] and [[Botswana]].
-==Avontuur Mine, Namaqualand, South Africa==
+==Liqhobong Mine, Lesotho==
+The Liqhobong Diamond Mine (‘Liqhobong’ or the ‘Project’) in Lesotho is Firestone’s principal asset, and was acquired as a result of the acquisition of Kopane Diamond Developments plc in September 2010. Liqhobong is located at the head of the Liqhobong Valley in the Maluti Mountains of northern Lesotho and is operated by Liqhobong Mining Development Company (Proprietary) Limited (‘LMDC’), which is 75% owned by Firestone Diamonds and 25% owned by the government of Lesotho.
-Firestone's Avontuur Mine is located near the coastal town of [[Hondeklip Bay]] in [[Namaqualand]]. Hondeklip Bay is a well established alluvial diamond producing area and hosts [[De Beers]]' Koingnaas Mine and Trans Hex's Hondeklip Bay Mine. These mines have been producing diamonds for 20 years and 15 years respectively and are estimated to have yielded in excess of 10 million carats (2,000 kg) with an estimated value of over $1&nbsp;billion at current market prices.
+==BK11 Mine, Botswana==
-Firestone has recently completed a major expansion programme at the Avontuur Mine, resulting in the integration of two previously separate and adjoining operations on the Nova and Gras Kom properties into a single expanded operation centred on the Avontuur Mine.
+The BK11 kimberlite mine is located in the Orapa kimberlite field in northern Botswana. BK11 is located approximately 7 kilometres southwest and 20 kilometres southeast of De Beers’ Letlhakane and Orapa mines, respectively, and is within 5 kilometres of Lucara’s new Karowe mine.
+A resource of over 10 Mt at an average grade of 8.5 carats per hundred tonnes containing 1 million carats which remains to be exploited.  Phase 1 of the BK11 production plant, which has a capacity of approximately 650,000 tonnes per annum, commenced in August 2010 and went on care and maintenance in February 2012.  Phase 2 which included secondary and tertiary crushing circuits remains to be implemented when the mine exits becomes operational again.
-Earthmoving capacity has been more than doubled to over 1&nbsp;million tonnes per annum, gravel treatment capacity has been increased by 60% to approximately 320 tonnes per day, and exploration drilling capability has been increased tenfold.
+The Board is considering various strategic alternatives for its Botswana operation, including disposal or joint venture.
-Recent drilling on the mine has also led to the discovery of a number of new gravel deposits, and while further evaluation of these deposits is required, the Company is confident that they will result in an increase to the mine's reserves.
-Diamonds produced from Avontuur average approximately 0.2 carat (40 mg) in weight and more than 80% are of gem quality and good, white colour. The largest diamond recovered to date weighed 1.9 carats (380 mg). Firestone markets its diamond production independently of the CSO by private tender, and sales are held several times a year in South Africa. The high quality of the Avontuur gem stones ensures that Firestone receives better than average prices for its diamonds, and in recent sales prices have averaged between $100 and $110 per carat.
-==Oena Mine, Namaqualand, South Africa ==
-Firestone acquired an 87.5% interest in the Oena Mine in February 2000, and is in the process of re-establishing mining operations at the mine. The Oena mining lease covers an area of 8,800 hectares and extends for 17 kilometres along the banks of the lower [[Orange River]]. The Orange River played a very significant role in the creation of the alluvial diamond deposits on the west coast of Southern Africa. First, it was the largest and most important river which transported diamonds to the west coast. Second, it carried diamonds of a size and quality considered equal to best in the world, with average values of between $700 and $900 per carat.
-Asam Minerals, Firestone's geological consulting affiliate, carried out the first prospecting activities on the lower reaches of the Orange River in the late 1960s, and was responsible for the discovery and development of the first mines on the lower Orange River at Octha and Baken.
-Octha is estimated to have produced 700,000 carats (140 kg), with a current value of $500&nbsp;million. Baken, which is considered to be one of the premier alluvial diamond mines in the world, is the flagship of Trans Hex, South Africa's second largest diamond producer, and has been producing for over 30 years. Baken currently produces approximately 50,000 carats (10 kg) per annum, with a gross value of about $40&nbsp;million. De Beers' Auchas Mine is located opposite Baken on the Namibian side of the Orange River and currently produces 25,000 carats (5 kg) per annum. The Oena Mine is located approximately 17 kilometres upstream of Baken. Upstream of Oena, Global Diamond Resources, a United States listed company, is developing a mine at Grasdrif. Trans Hex is carrying out a feasibility study at their Northbank project, located on the Namibian side of the river opposite Grasdrif.
-Previous mining operations at Oena in the early 1990s were small scale and focused on two remnant deposits of high grade Miocene-age gravels, known as proto Orange gravels. Between 1991 and 1995, Oena produced approximately 30,000 carats (6 kg), worth about $24&nbsp;million at current prices. The average stone size was approximately 2 carats (400 mg), and in 1993 production was sold for an average of $880 per carat. The largest stone recovered was 79 carats (16 g). As prices of large, high quality stones have increased significantly since then, the current market value of these diamonds is estimated to be in the region of $1,000 per carat. By 1995 the proto Orange gravels at Oena were mined out, following which mining operations were suspended.
-Firestone intends to re-establish mining operations at the mine to exploit the substantial resource of more recent gravel terraces, known as meso Orange gravels, which remain on the mine. Geological and topographical mapping, aerial photo analysis, and drilling have been undertaken on the meso terraces, on the basis of which the total gravel resource is estimated to be approximately 40&nbsp;million tonnes.
-Sampling on the meso terraces has produced grades between 0.6 and 1.25 carats/100 tonnes (1.2 and 2.5 mg/t), with localised high grade areas of between 5 to 10 carats/100 tonnes (1 to 2 g/t). Over 330 carats (66 g) were recovered from small scale subcontracting operations at Oena in 1999, which were sold at an average price of $880 per carat. The largest stones recovered were 48 carats (9.6 g), 16.28 carats (3.256 g), and a 10.81 carat (2.162 g) D flawless stone which sold for $5,000 per carat.
-Oena has the significant advantage that much of the original mine infrastructure is still in place, allowing production to begin almost immediately. Key elements of the infrastructure include mining equipment, more than 1,300 m² of accommodation, office space and workshops, fresh water supply, telephone line, 1,300 metre runway, and gravel treatment plant and sorting building.
-Oena also has significant exploration potential, as it is believed that high grade proto Orange gravels have been preserved beneath the meso Orange gravels in certain locations at the mine.
 [[Category:Diamond mining companies]]
 [[Category:Mining companies of South Africa]]