Firestone Diamonds plc expects to reach its mining target of 325,000 tons in October 2009 at the BK11 projects in Botswana. In March 2009 Firestone announced an inferred resource of 12 million tonnes containing approximately 830,000 carats with an overall modelled value of $123/carat. In July 2009 the Company announced that the modelled value had increased to $135/carat [...]
Botswana Govt: ‘Factual Inaccuracies’, ‘Lack of Understanding’, ‘Flawed Methodology’ in Bench Marks Foundation Report
The ‘De Beers, Botswana and the Control of the Country’ report, published by The Bench Marks Foundation, a South African NGO, has been criticized by the government of Botswana. The government notes that the report’s authors failed to contact or engage meaningfully with any of its branches; and that some simple factual inaccuracies in the [...]
Firestone Diamonds Raises £7.2 Million
Firestone Diamonds plc has conditionally placed 35,873,480 new ordinary shares of 20 pence each at 20 pence per share to raise gross proceeds of approximately £7.2 million. Net proceeds of the placing will be used to develop and commission a mine at BK11, commence resource development at BK16 and provide general working capital for the [...]
Debswana Observes 40 Years of Propelling the Nation to Greater Heights
The following is a message from Eric Molale, Chairman of Debswana Board of Directors “Today, 23rd June 2009, marks Debswana Day, a day when the Company – its Board of Directors, employees and stakeholders, will observe Debswana’s 40 years of existence, under the theme “Our Diamonds, Our Pride”. A unique equal partnership between the Government [...]
Botswana and De Beers Celebrate a 40-year Partnership
23rd June marks the 40th anniversary of the unique partnership between De Beers and Botswana, which began with the signing of the lease agreement for the Orapa Mine on 23rd June 1969, and the establishment of De Beers Botswana Mining Company Limited (renamed Debswana in 1992). In the ensuing 40 years, Botswana and De Beers [...]
De Beers and Debswana Donate 10 Million Pula for Community Projects in Botswana
On May 20, 2009, the Diamond Trust a non-profit making entity founded by Debswana and De Beers to fund large scale community projects, signed a P10 million agreement for the implementation of the Tsodilo Hills World UNESCO Heritage Site Management Plan. The Diamond Trust was launched in 2007 and is a vehicle for Debswana [...]