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Minerals Report - International Seabed Authority

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CHAPTER 18<br />

STATUS REPORT ON THE DATA AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS<br />

OF NAMIBIA’S OFFSHORE MINING POLICY AS IT RELATES TO<br />

PROSPECTING AND EXPLORATION (INFORMATION AND DATA<br />

REQUIREMENTS DURING PROSPECTING AND EXPLORATION AND<br />

DEGREES OF COMPLIANCE)<br />

1. Introduction<br />

Inge K Zaamwani, Managing Director<br />

Namdeb Diamond Corporation (Pty) Ltd., Windhoek, Namibia.<br />

Namibia is endowed with an abundance of mineral resources, being<br />

particularly well known for its history of high quality diamond mining<br />

spanning a period of over 100 years. There are several foreign companies<br />

exploiting the mineral wealth of Namibia. It is generally not Government<br />

policy to participate in the development of mineral resources and investors<br />

are therefore not required to give free equity to Government. However, of<br />

late, the trend among multinationals is to engage in “smart partnership”<br />

development of the resources with locally owned entities. Diamond<br />

exploration attracts the greatest interest and currently, the whole coastline<br />

from south to north is taken up by exclusive prospecting and mining licences<br />

for this mineral, as shown in the map below.<br />

Offshore diamond exploration started in the early 1960’s. A Texan<br />

entrepreneur, Sammy Collins of Marine Diamond Corporation, using a steam<br />

tug with a 20” airlift, first mined diamonds. Subsequently, the use of barges<br />

became more popular. The first of these was Barge 77, converted from a<br />

submarine pipe-laying rig, equipped with a 30cm airlift feeding a 30-tphrecovery<br />

plant. Today there are approximately twenty-three (23) exploration<br />

and mining vessels operating in the territorial sea and the Exclusive Economic<br />

Zone (EEZ) of Namibia. The bulk of these vessels operate at depths in excess<br />

of 200 m and eight belong to De Beers Marine, working under contract for<br />

Namibia’s premier diamond mining company, Namdeb Diamond<br />

Corporation, while three belong to the NASDAQ – listed company NAMCO.<br />

The Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Centenary jointly<br />

INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY 763

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