Orapa is a conventional open-pit mine, situated 240 km west of Francistown. It was discovered in 1967 by a team of De Beers geologists led by Manfred Marx. The mine became fully operational in July 1971 following an official opening by the then President of Botswana, His Excellency Sir Seretse Khama.
Currently, Orapa is mining at a depth of 305 meters and is expected to reach 350 meters by 2026 (Orapa – Debswana, n.d.).
The resource consists of a single volcanic pipe that separates into two distinct pipes (north and south) at depth, which erupted through Transvaal strata and overlying Karoo sediments over 200 million years ago.
Production volumes vary according to mining plans, averaging around 10 million carats per year.
What do you think was the biggest challenge in scaling this project to its immense size? Let’s discuss!
