Namibia’s diamond production increased by 67% to 565 000 carats in the second quarter up from 338 000 carats recorded in the same period last year, figures released on Thursday show.
The rapid increase in diamond production was “primarily driven by continued strong performance from the Benguela Gem since the early delivery of the new diamond recovery vessel in Q1 2022.”
The Benguela Gem is Debmarine Namibia’s N$7 billion vessel inaugurated in March and expected to boost the company’s annual diamond production by an additional 500 000 carats of diamonds.
The country’s diamond production increased by 25% from 451 000 carats in Q1 2022 to 565 000 in Q2 2022 according to the Anglo American’s operation figures for Q2, bringing the country’s half year production to 1,016 000 carats, a 50% increase from 676 000 produced the same period last year.
In the period under review, Debmarine’s production increased by 98% in Q2 with a production of 488 000 carats compared to 249 000 carats produced the same period last year, bringing the marine diamond mining company’s production to 863 000 for the half year, a 73% increase from 498 000 carats produced during the same period last year.
Namdeb’s production, according to Anglo American figures, came in at 77 000 carats of diamonds in Q2, a 13% decline from 89 000 carats produced the same period last year.
For the half year, Namdeb’s production is down 14% with 153 000 carats produced compared to 178 000 carats produced the same period last year.
The country’s total diamond production for Q2 increased by 67% compared to the same period last year and by 50% for the half year, with 1,016 600 carats produced.
The De Beers’ Group Rough diamond production decreased by 4% to 7.9 million carats in Q2, primarily due to the treatment of lower grade ore at operations in both Canada and Botswana.
Namibia’s diamond production marginally increased to 1.467 million carats last year, compared to 1.448 million carats produced in 2020 according to De Beers.
The world’s leading diamond company generated N$10.5 billion (US$650 million) in its fifth cycle sale of gems in June, including some from Namibia.
