The following section is quoted from an article by Terraconsult entitled:(concerning the year 1997)
"Namibia’s production is derived from present-day and older beach deposits, which occur both on land and under the sea.
The land-based
production was on a declining trend in the past few years, but this was compensated by increased production from the sea.
Namibia’s major
diamond producer is Namdeb, a 50/50 joint venture between the government of Namibia and De Beers.
The decrease of land production has
been temporarily halted now by the installation of a 2500 tonnes/hour dredge by Namdeb at the cost of US$ 40 million.
The dredge allows the
sea to be pushed back by 300 m.
The dredge and the offshore vessels of De Beers Marine should enable Namdeb to keep production for the
next ten years at the present rate of 1.3 million carats per year (see footnote by editor), worth US$ 370 million.
Offshore, De Beers Marine produced 481,000 carats in
1997, while Ocean Diamond Mining aims for 60,000 carats and Namco for 150,000 carats in 1998.
More to the south, the Moonstar vessel,
operated by Benguela Concessions of South Africa, has started trial mining in South African waters at a planned rate of 65,000 carats per year."
Footnote by editor:
The 1965 OSESA evaluation of the offshore concession amounted to about 10.5 million carats
The following is a copy of part of a Review and Forecast Article by Dr. Michael J. Cruickshank:
"Mining: A Significant Non-Action For 1998"
in SEA TECHNOLOGY of January, 1999:
BLO fecit 8 III 1999, add 20010112