Jwaneng diamond mine

Location and Ownership

• Jwaneng diamond mine is located in south-central Botswana, about 120 kilometers west of the city of Gaborone.
• It is situated in the Naledi river valley of the Kalahari Desert.
• Jwaneng is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana.
• It is the second newest of four mines operated by Debswana, starting operations in 1982.

Production and Reserves

• Jwaneng is an open pit mine that produces 9.3 million tons per year of ore.
• It also produces an additional 37 million tons per year of waste rock.
• The mine covers 520,000 square meters at ground level.
• Currently, Jwaneng produces approximately 11 million carats (2,200kg) of diamonds.
• Known reserves will allow production at current levels to continue for 27 years.

Richness and Value

• The Jwaneng diamond mine is the richest diamond mine in the world.
• The recoverable ore grade at the mine is about 1.25 carats per ton (250mg/t).
• The high rate of diamond extraction and high-quality diamonds contribute to its value.
• Jwaneng is the richest diamond mine in the world by the value of recovered diamonds.

Employment and Facilities

• Jwaneng employs over 2,100 people.
• The mine owns and operates a local hospital and Jwaneng Airport.
• It maintains an ISO 14001 certificate for environmental compliance.
• Jwaneng has an excellent safety record, winning multiple national and international safety awards.

Environmental Impact and Wildlife

• The Jwaneng mining lease includes the Jwana Game Park, which hosts a field unit of Cheetah Conservation Botswana.
• The park is also home to the globally threatened lappet-faced vulture.
• The mine has taken measures to minimize its environmental impact and maintains an ISO 14001 certificate for environmental compliance.

Jwaneng diamond mine Data Sources