Orapa diamond mine
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Orapa diamond mine Botswana | |
| Location | Orapa |
| Country | Botswana |
| Coordinates | 21°18′30″S 25°22′10″E / 21.30833°S 25.36944°E |
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds (16.3 million carats in 2003) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1971 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Debswana |
| Website | debswana.com |
The Orapa diamond mine is the world's largest diamond mine by area. The mine is located in Orapa, a town in the Central District of Botswana about 240 km (150 mi) west of the city of Francistown. Orapa ("resting place for lions") is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana.[1] The mine was discovered on 1 March 1967, a year after Botswana's independence, by a team of De Beers geologists, including Manfred Marx, Jim Gibson and led by Dr. Gavin Lamont.[2] It is the oldest of four mines operated by the company, and began operations in July 1971 and its first production was 1,438,168 carats (287,633.6 g).[3][1] The revenue the mine generated is credited for transforming the Botswana economy, as it allowed the government to invest in critical social services and national infrastructure.[4]
Orapa is an
Orapa and its sister mine Letlhakane employ over 3,100. Debswana also maintains a 100-bed
The preserved Cretaceous (Turonian ~94-90 million years old) lake sediments overlying the pipe are an important locality for fossil insects.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Debswana History". www.debswana.com. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ editor, Online (10 November 2014). "Orapa diamond mine discovery story retold | Sunday Standard". Retrieved 15 December 2020.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ISBN 9789991294186.
- ISSN 2225-6253.
- ^ "Q4 2019 Production Report" (PDF). Anglo American. Anglo American. 23 January 2020.
- ISSN 1021-3589.
References
- Debswana diamond mines (Retrieved April 13, 2005)
- Orapa (Retrieved April 29, 2008)
External links
 | This Botswana location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |