Namibia’s leading marine diamond mining company, Debmarine Namibia, is calling for bidders to express interest in buying its vertical drilling mining vessel.
This follows recent reports that the diamond sector has not been performing well of late, mainly due to competition from artificial diamonds.
In an analysis of the country’s economic performance during the first quarter, Simonis Storm analyst Almandro Jansen says diamond mining has declined by 4% due to weakened global demand.
According to a media advert that was first published on 6 June, the vessel to be sold was built in Texas, United States in 1972 and is fully equipped with potable water makers.
According to the company, the sale of the vessel is open to anyone.
“We have advertised extensively both inside and outside the country,” it says.
“The vessel has sufficient power generation for propulsion, mooring and mining activities and has a berthing capacity of up to 36 officers and 44 crew members,” Debmarine says.
To participate in the expression of interest, bidders must register on the electronic platform Asite Marketplace.
“Registered businesses interested in providing an offer are requested to submit their interest by 11 July 2025 at 12h00,” the company says, adding that bidders must submit a company profile and overview, as well as any additional information demonstrating capability and suitability.
Debmarine Namibia owns a fleet of seven marine diamond recovery vessels and charters one additional vessel.
These are the mining vessel (mv) Debmar Atlantic, mv Debmar Pacific, mv Grand Banks, mv !Gariep, mv Mafuta and mv Benguela Gem.
The seventh vessel of the Debmarine Namibia fleet, the mv SS Nujoma, is a diamond exploration and sampling vessel.
Additionally, Debmarine Namibia charters the mv Coral Sea.
The vessels recover diamonds off the sea floor using highly advanced technology, supported with sophisticated tracking, positioning and surveying equipment.
All Debmarine Namibia vessels are registered in the port of Lüderitz.
It is a joint venture marine diamond prospecting and mining company, owned in equal shares by the Namibian government and De Beers, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Namdeb Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na
