Modern Mining March 2016

feature DIAMONDS A recent view of the Residue Storage Facility (RSF). This has involved 103 000 m 3 of cut and 1,5 million m 3 of fill. The Liqhobong plant features a conventional flowsheet and will have a capacity of 500 t/h.

technology,” he notes. “Everything is proven and we know it will work.” To implement Liqhobong, Brown – who is ex-De Beers (he served as Group CFO for five years before being appointed Joint Acting CEO) – has assembled a highly experienced project team. It is headed by Glenn Black, who also has a background with De Beers (one of the projects he managed was Voorspoed in the Free State) and who has been involved in the project since February 2014. Firestone has also appointed contractors with good track records. The vastly experienced DRA is the EPCM contractor, Turnkey Civils Lesotho is respon- sible for the Residue Storage Facility (RSF), Stefanutti Stocks is undertaking the earthworks and civils, SMEI is the structural, mechanical,

definitely has the ability to produce large stones. We believe that during previous pro- cessing campaigns at the site at least three large stones of plus 200 carats – one a plus 400-carat yellow diamond – were broken in the pilot plant, a conclusion based on the analysis of fragments,” he explains. “If the large stone potential is realised during operation of the mine, we calculate that the average carat price could be US$156/carat.” Describing the Main Treatment Plant or MTP, Brown says that it uses a conventional flowsheet comprising scrubbing, screening, crushing, concentration via DMS and final recovery using Flowsort X-ray machines. It will have 2 x 250 t/h processing streams. “We are deliberately not pioneering any new

30  MODERN MINING  March 2016