2010-06-24
NAMIBIA SURVEYS ITS MINING POTENTIAL
Known as one of the world's largest producers of superior quality diamonds, Namibia is constantly looking for ways to further enhance its mining potential. Surveying forms an important part of this assessment. Southern Mapping Company (SMC) has conducted many survey projects to help elevate Namibia's mining output.
The largest diamond producer in Namibia is Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Ltd, performing opencast diamond mining operations east along the Orange River and on the coastal strip north of the Orange River. The mining operations in this area stretch over 250 km.
Says Peter Moir, Chief Executive for SMC, "By expanding our horizons and doing surveying not only in South Africa, but in Africa and other countries around the world, we are contributing towards sustainability of resources through project planning enhancement."
Tony Goosen, Chief Surveyor for Namdeb, says that SMC has assisted Namdeb with various surveying projects to help with diamond mine planning. "SMC conducted their first survey for Namdeb in 2000, covering an area of 22 600 hectares along the Namibian coastline, from the Orange River mouth in the South to Chameis Bay,110 kilometres to the North. In 2003 the coastal area from Chameis Bay in the South to just South of Luderitz was surveyed. Later, during 2007, they returned to survey 2300 hectares of land at the Elizabeth Bay mining area south of Luderitz. The Kolmanskop Ghost town complex was also surveyed. The latest surveying project was completed by SMC in March 2010, for a proposed aerial ropeway route near Sendelingsdrif along the Orange River".
The exploration and emerging uranium development company, Bannerman, has interests in Namibia as well as Botswana. They are currently in the planning phases for the Etango Project, which focuses on one of the world's largest undeveloped uranium deposits. SMC was commissioned to undertake surveying to help with preparations for this project.
Andrew Cunningham, Geology Superintendent for Bannerman Resources provided details of SMC's involvement. "The terrain surveyed varied from the flat, featureless Namib Desert plains to areas with an extreme topography, such as the Swakop River gorge. The total survey area was 237km2. Information derived from this survey was used for a variety of purposes, such as mine planning and optimisation, construction or engineering planning, ore reserve estimations and exploration planning. Accurate aerial lidar surveys will form part of the company's future development and will be used in stockpile estimation, environmental monitoring as well as other planning processes."
