If you were unaware, Russia is home to half of the world's largest diamond mines, which may come as a surprise. Typically, we think of precious gem mining as taking place in places like Africa or Australia - yet Russia is the world's largest producer of diamonds. Due to the fact that both nations are home to some of the world's largest diamond resources, diamond mining is mostly centred in Russia and Botswana. Orapa Diamond Mine, located in Botswana, is the world's largest diamond producer.
Which diamond mine is the largest in the world?
Orapa mine
The Orapa mine, which began producing diamonds in 1971 and is currently the world's largest open-pit diamond mine, is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mine is located in eastern Botswana, 240 kilometres west of Francistown, which was the epicentre of the first gold rush in southern Africa. With more than 2,800 full-time employees and an additional 237 on fixed-term contracts, Debswana operates the mine, which is a 50-50 joint venture between the Botswana government and South African diamond company De Beers.
The mine employs more than 2,800 full-time employees and 237 on fixed-term contracts. The present mining depth of the Orapa mine is 250 metres, with plans to increase this to 450 metres by 2026. The mine has a permit to operate until 2033. The mine, which has a surface area of 118km2, is one of the world's biggest kimberlite pipes, with a total surface area of 118km2. The ore from the Orapa mine is processed at a processing plant that also handles the ore from two other Debswana mines, Letlhakane and Damtshaa, as well as other mines in the country.
In terms of land area, the Orapa diamond mine is the largest diamond mine in the world. The mine is located in Orapa, a hamlet in Botswana's Central District that is approximately 240 kilometres (150 kilometres) west of the capital city of Francistown. "Orapa" (Lion's Resting Place) is held by Debswana, a joint venture between the De Beers mining firm and the Botswana government that was established in 2008.
The mine was founded on 1 March 1967, a year after Botswana gained independence, by a team of De Beers geologists led by Dr Gavin Lamont, which included Manfred Marx and Jim Gibson, as well as other De Beers scientists. It is the oldest of the 4 mines run by the business, having begun operations in July 1971 and producing 1,438,168 carats in its first year of operation.
