Namakwa secures new diamond ground

NAMAKWA Diamond Company has successfully applied for the Swartsand project, located between the towns of Springbok and Kleinzee, in South Africa.

The ground, in the flood plain of the Buffels River, is said to be a major source of alluvial diamonds in the area.

The project is immediately adjacent to the Buffelsbank Mine, which produced 1.2 million carats over a 30-year period until its closure in 1998.

Namakwa plans to start exploration at Swartsand during the second quarter of 2005 after finalising regulatory requirements.

The company hopes to create a second operational centre in South Africa outside of its Namakwa Diamond Project on the west coast, about 400 kilometres south of Swartsand.

Production started at the Namakwa project in September.