4th September 2002 - Ken Walker
"Lead to Diamonds"
Ken Walker gave a most interesting presentation about his thirty years work as a professional mining engineer in Northern Rhodesia, which of course since independence in the 60's is called Zambia. Because of the limited time available he did not cover the political or economic factors effecting this part of Africa, but has subsequently provided some data, which is appended to this report?
Ken covered both open pit mining and deep shaft mining, his first appointment was at Rhodesia Broken Hill Development Co Ltd near the township of Kabwe, followed by Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines Ltd near Chingola, both these companies are based in Zambia formerly Northern Rhodesia.
Then he moved to Botswana at the Orapa Diamond Mines, in all cases he highlighted the world miners problem of water ingress and control, even under the Kalahari Desert, one of the driest places on earth, there is a brackish water reservoir which if the water table rises can flood the mines. This water is luckily available to use in the processing plant but is not suitable for human consumption due to the salt content absorbed in transit to the underground reservoir via the salt pans, latterly discharged into a river where it's salt content is suitably diluted.
Ken's main thrust was to outline two distinct actions where water was a serious threat to
production, equipment and to the people working close to the problem. The first was in an open pit mine where the massive equipment used had electrical power as the motivating source; a bucket wheel excavator is shown as an example. A tropical storm not only started to fill the pit with Niagara proportions cascades but also an electrical lightening strike put the power plant out of action. Unfortunately deep in the drain sump of the pit they were digging and the water and silt rose such that the staff had to abandon the massive and expensive digger. Ken gave an awe inspiring account of men and ingenuity against the power of nature, most interesting and Ken said that life became very interesting!
The second in a deep pit mine where one of the high pressure gate valve casting cracked under the pressure of 200 feet head of water and the water hammer effect, this valve had to be removed and replaced with a new valve. Due to the water onrush this operation had to be carried out by feel against immense water flow and pressure. This necessitated fitting very long threaded studs and feeding the valve slowly by hand, once in place and torqued to the correct amount the valve could be slowly closed. This was a period in seconds when it was possible that the water inertia could have burst the new valve with disastrous effects on the miners trapped in a confined underground cavern, again Ken said that life became very interesting!
On another occasion Ken relived finding by chance a "pebble" under one of their excavators being serviced, this pebble turned out to be an uncut diamond subsequently valued in millions of dollars, but all finds belong to De Beers and all Ken got was a glass replica, such is life.
This was a dynamic and breath taking presentation, well received by the membership, and after some interesting questions, a vote of thanks was made for a scintillating presentation, but sadly no diamonds as give always! The membership responded with a round of well-deserved applause.
If you wish to see some of the World's Top Diamonds CLICK here.
Africa Introduction
The continent of Africa is the world's second largest continent after Asia, with a total surface area, including several surrounding islands of 30,313,000 square kilometres. It stretches from 40 degrees latitude in the north to 34 35' degrees south and has 54 independent countries - 48 mainland and 6 island states - with an estimated total population of 700 million.
The economic powerhouse of Africa south of the Sahara Desert is South Africa. Through its well developed infrastructure and deepwater ports, South Africa handles much of the trade for the whole southern African region
The eastern region of Africa is home to the great wildlife reserves of the Serengeti plains and the Rift Valley lake system which stretch across the countries of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania
Further north lie the countries of the Horn of Africa and the source of the longest river in the world, the Nile River, which flows northwards over 6690 kilometres to end in the Mediterranean Sea. Somalia occupies much of the coastline, while Ethiopia and Sudan are large inland countries. On the coast of the Red Sea are the two independent republics of Djibouti and Eritrea.
Moving from west to east are the three countries which form the Maghreb region, the Kingdom of Morocco which has laid claim to the state of Western Sahara (Sahrawi Republic), a former Spanish colony on its southern border, and the republics of Algeria, and Tunisia. The remaining countries are Libya and finally Egypt occupying the north-east corner of Africa and having an extension across the Gulf of Suez into the Sinai Peninsula through which runs the Suez Canal physically cutting off the continent of Africa from the Middle East. Both Algeria and Libya have vast oil and gas producing fields
There are 6 independent island states associated with the continent of Africa. Off its west coast are the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Senegal. In the Gulf Guinea off the coast of Gabon is the small island state of Sao Tomé and Principé. Off the east coast of Africa is the island republic of the Comores, and Madagascar, the world's third largest island with an area of 587,041 square kilometres. Further east in the Indian Ocean are the island republics of Mauritius and the Seychelles. Lying close to Mauritius is the island of Réunion, a dependency of France although its economy is closely linked to that of the east African coast and Indian Ocean islands.
While many write off Africa as the continent of despair, other enterprising individuals and organisations have recognised the huge, untapped potential of Africa and are actively pursuing business ventures across the continent.
However, perhaps Africa's greatest opportunity lies in its biodiversity, which ranges from Sahara desert to tropical jungle, from snow-capped volcanic Mount Kilamanjaro to the beaches of East and West Africa. Then there is the excitement of stalking big game in the African bush to the thrill of whitewater rafting through the gorges below Victoria Falls or the awe of seeing the Egyptian pyramids at sunrise.
Zambia General Information
Population: 9,500,000 (1995) Area: 752,618 Km²
Capital: Lusaka
Currency: 1 Zambian kwacha = 100 ngwee
Language(s): EnglishOverview
Zambia is a landlocked independent republic which is situated in south- central Africa to the east of Angola and forms part of the Southern African region. The capital city is Lusaka. Other major cities are Ndola and Kitwe.
More than 80 languages are spoken although the official language is English. Zambia has a market-based economy in which the public sector is still active.
Zambia is rich in mineral resources and its mining industry is its dominant sector and major earner of foreign exchange. Metal exports make up about three-quarters of Zambia’s export earnings. The economy was severely damaged by the fall in the copper price and the oil shocks of the early 1970s. Since then per capita income has declined steadily. Since the early 1990s, the government has implemented reforms to deregulate prices and eliminate subsidies. The copper industry was largely privatised in late 1999. Also, the exchange rate and interest rates are no longer fixed by the government.
These reforms have had limited success, however, due to the continued fall in the copper price and bad performance by copper mines. This has been compounded by drought and reduction in foreign aid following concern regarding the management of the economy. In late 1999, however, several European countries and organisations cancelled large amounts of Zambia’s outstanding debt, showing confidence in the country’s new economic policies. In 1999 cobalt prices rose as a result of a world shortage of the metal.
Zambia has large amounts of arable land, most of which has not yet been cultivated. Many farms were abandoned under the Kaunda government, however crops such as coffee, tobacco, cotton and sugar are being grown again. Flowers and vegetables are also grown commercially in Zambia.
The Zambian oil industry is another important element in the economy of the country. While there have been no discoveries of oil or gas reserves, the Indeni Refinery in Ndola provides most of the petroleum products required by the local market and for export. Zambia has an active chemicals industry.
International Trade
The main export commodities in Zambia include cobalt, compressor lubricants, copper, cotton, cut flowers, electric appliances and parts, hardwood, lead products, mineral products and lime. The main import commodities include capital goods, chemical products, crude oil, fertilisers, petroleum products and raw materials.
Copper and cobalt are the key commodities produced by Zambia, with the Zambian copperbelt remaining the focus of mining and development activities. The copperbelt, which is situated between Zambia and the DRC is one of the world’s greatest metallogenic provinces. It is estimated to contain 34% and 10% of global cobalt and copper reserves. The area contains the world’s highest grade copper and cobalt deposits, with tailings dumps often containing grades greater than that of most hard rock mines.
Zambia contains small-scale gold, coal and manganese mines. Outside of the copperbelt, little exploration has been carried out, apart from regional base metal, gold and diamond prospecting.
Botswana General Information
Population: 1,586,119 (2001) Area: 581,730 Km²
Capital(s): Gaborone
Currency: 1 Pula (P) = 100 Thebe
Language(s): English, SetswanaThis profile of Botswana is an overview
Geography
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The capital city is Gaborone.
Politics
President Festus Mogae came into office on April 1, 1998. The next elections are scheduled for October 2004. Elections held in the country since independence (1966) are considered to have been free and fair
Politics in the country is dominated mainly by the Botswana Democratic Party which is only occasionally challenged by the Botswana National Front. The opposition has not gone to great lengths to define its party mandate and often resorts merely to the criticism of the BDP but their presence helps to ensure the maintenance of democratic debate.
Economy
Botswana’s economy is one of the healthiest in Africa and the country can boast one of the world’s highest growth rates. Many have attributed this to the fact that despite continued regional tension and the conflict experienced by neighbouring countries, Botswana remains relatively peaceful. The country has also practiced fiscal discipline and sound management.
The country’s economy depends on the important revenues earned from diamond and beef exports as well as tourism and the foreign currency injected through donor aid.
Economic problems in the country are similar to those experienced by other African states. The government is faced with the problem of high rates of unemployment and poverty.
The government has taken a proactive approach and has invested heavily in infrastructure as well as education.
Industry Sectors.
The most important industry sector in Botswana is the country's diamond industry. Tourism, and agriculture are also important.
Botswana is the world’s biggest diamond producer in the world.
Agriculture in Botswana manifests itself mainly in the form of subsistence farming and cattle raising. Beef exports are an important source of revenue for the country.
Trade
The country’s main exports include diamonds, vehicles, nickel, copper and meat. These products are bought mainly by the EU, SACU member states as well as Zimbabwe.
Botswana imports products such as foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment as well as textiles and petroleum products. SACU members fulfill the majority of these import requirements, although
Exploration
Diamond exploration continues in Botswana with numerous local and foreign companies carrying out various phases of exploration. Due to the extensive Kalahari sand cover (and Karoo basalts underneath), sophisticated and innovative sampling and geophysical techniques are required to locate undiscovered kimberlites. In general most of Botswana is prospective for kimberlite discovery, and based on discoveries and mining operations to date, the potential for the discovery of diamondiferous kimberlites is high.
Diamond
Because of their beauty and physical characteristics, diamonds have been regarded as symbols of love, beauty and eternity. The diamond is an extremely rare mineral composed of pure carbon. It is well known for its extreme hardness, brilliance, and thermal and electrical characteristics. The principal use of diamonds is in jewellery, with the market increasing over 250% over the past 15 years. However, not all diamonds are of gem quality, in fact most diamond deposits contain a varying proportion of industrial and gem quality stones.
Industrial diamonds main use is in abrasives lens manufacture and wire drawing in electrical circuits. Originally crushed diamonds were used for these purposes, however synthetic diamonds are now being produced in laboratories and pose a threat to the industrial diamond mine production globally. Alternatives to the use of industrial diamonds in abrasives are manufactured abrasives such as cubic boron nitride, fused aluminium oxide, and silicon carbide. Synthetic diamonds rather than natural diamonds are utilised for more than 90% of industrial applications. Russia, Botswana and South Africa are the world’s major gem quality diamond producers, with Australia being a major industrial diamond producer.
