Map of Afgem mines

Simolotse Mine
Simolotse Mine, previously Loxton Exploration, is an underground fissure mine, located 80km north-northwest of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa, that has been in continuous production since the 1930s. The mine currently employs approximately 260 staff.

Simolotse has a twin shaft structure along six kilometers of strike length and is mining at depths of approximately 500 meters. Whilst the resource at Simolotse is infinite, a competent persons report conducted by Snowden Mining Consultants in late 2004, gave the following reserve statement:

  • Indicated reserves of 155 000 tonnes @ 85cpht
  • Inferred reserves of 238 000 tonnes @ 85cpht
Of the diamonds recovered 80 – 85% are gem quality and average value per carat is increasing as fresh fissure material is uncovered at lower depths. Since Afgem took over management of Simolotse, operating costs have been considerably reduced and significant capital expenditure has been invested to ramp up production to a level that can be accommodated by the current processing plant. Production is targeted to increase to 2 000 carats per month once new infrastructure is fully installed.

Bokang Mine
Bokang Mine, previously known as Bellsbank Consolidated Diamond Mine, is an underground fissure mine currently on care and maintenance, located 26 km west of Simolotse Mine and 50 km west of Barkley West in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Mining operations began in the 1950’s where after the mine closed for a short period in the late 1980s, before re-opening in 1989 and operated continuously until it was flooded in 2001. The mine is currently flooded to 100 meters of a total depth of 500 meters. Bokang is 3kms along a series of strikes from Petra Diamonds’ Sedibeng mine. Reputed to produce the highest proportion of large stones of Afgem’s three mines with the average price previously received being one of the highest recorded for a South African kimberlite mine. Afgem intends to return Bokang to operation post the completion of a bankable feasibility study.

Agisanang Mine
Agisanang Mine, previously known as Rex Diamond Mine, is situated 40km south of Welkom and 14km north of Theunissen in the Free State Province in South Africa. This is a distance of some 200 km from both Simolotse and Bokang mine. Mining production began in 1912 and continued, intermittently, until the mine’s most recent closure in 1998. It has subsequently since been on care and maintenance. Agisanang is a relatively shallow mine, with recent mining operations at a depth of only 100 meters. However Agisanang is five kilometers along strike from Petra Diamonds’ Star Mine that has been in continuous production for 50 years and Afgem believes that the mine can be run profitably with minimal capital investment.

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