CAPE TOWN – A joint venture between De Beers and AngloGold Ashanti Ltd expects to start its first underwater drilling for gold in the second quarter of next year, the general manager of De Beers Marine said on Friday.
De Beers Marine provides the technical support and exploration vessels for the world’s biggest diamond producer, which mines offshore in South Africa but mainly in Namibia. ‘At the moment we are focused on New Zealand as the first step of the new venture,’ Burger Greeff, general manager of De Beers Marine told Reuters in an interview. De Beers, the world’s top diamond producer, is 45 per cent owned by global miner Anglo American Plc .’The immediate targets after New Zealand would be South America, followed by Africa and then North America,’ he said. Geologists from the joint venture have been prospecting all continents except Asia and Europe, said Greeff.- Namibia-Reuters
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
