Modern Mining January 2022

DIAMONDS

VUP tracking well against the post-COVID forecast Despite significant COVID-19 setbacks, development of De Beers’ Venetia Underground Project is now about 54% complete, tracking well against the post-COVID forecast, and on budget. First production is expected between Q4 2022 and Q1 2023. Modern Mining’s Munesu Shoko was recently on site and filed this report.

Allan Rodel, VUP director.

H aving operated Venetia successfully as an opencast mine since 1992, De Beers Group took a decision to develop an underground mining operation to economically extract the kimberlites that extend well below the depth limit of open-pit operations. The two orebodies at Venetia – K01 and K02 – extend well below surface to depths of up to approximately 1 000 m. In i ts seventh year of development , the US2,2‑billion Venetia Underground Project (VUP) – the single biggest investment in South Africa’s diamond industry in decades – has reached a 54% completion project milestone, Allan Rodel, VUP director tells Modern Mining . Notwithstanding the signi f icant impact of COVID‑19, Rodel says the project is now tracking well against the post-COVID forecast, with the site team doing a fantastic job to recover some of the lost ground due to the pandemic.

“We sadly recorded five losses of life through COVID-19 during this period, our thoughts and prayers remain with those families. However, on a more positive note, we have managed to acceler- ate our vaccination programme and we are nearing the 70% mark on site and 90% at our Johannesburg head office. That will definitely stand us in good stead during the COVID-19 fourth wave,” says Rodel. Overall, safety has been a good story on site in 2021, with a 35% reduction in recordable incidents compared with 2020 and 29% better than the target the company had set itself the previous year. “We are encouraged by the improved safety performance. Central to this feat are a range of interventions, including a well-executed safety action plan, the commencement of a safety maturity journey and a supervisory development programme for the Integrated Owners Team as we transition some of our open-pit employees to underground and as we

A 280% improvement in development in the past 18 months has been achieved.

Top projects

18  MODERN MINING  January 2022