An aerial view of Venetia Mine’s underground infrastructure, a cornerstone of De Beers Group’s largest investment in South Africa.
An employee points toward Venetia Mine’s production shaft, the heart of the mine’s new underground operation.
Employees make their way underground, united in their commitment to safety and excellence.
programme will recover 1 billion dollars in value over the next five years and secure sustainable value creation over the life of mine, which spans more than two decades. Unlocking underground potential Venetia Mine’s orebody consists of three kimberlite pipes, K01,K02 and K03. The Venetia underground project is focused on unlocking diamond production from two of three key kimberlite pipes – K01 and K02. Described as a world class asset in terms of size, quality and quantity of diamonds produced, the main kimberlite pipe, K01, has an impressive resource grade of more than 100 cts per 100 tonne, reflective of an outstanding asset. “The open pit was mined to a depth of 400 m, with the K01 pipe being mined the deepest during open pit operations. Current underground plans indicate mining depth of about 1000 m at 100 Level with the orebody extending downwards in a vortex shape. Production from K01 will take us to 3.5 mtpa with the introduction of K02 adding 2,5 mtpa to bring production to a total of 6 mtpa,” said Nel. The K01 pipe is the largest of the three diamond resources followed by K02, and K03 as the smallest kimberlite pipe. The miner is currently undertaking studies to determine the mining method for K02. “At Venetia, we currently use the sub-level caving method (SLC). However, standard underground mines adopt the block cave method of mining - a more efficient and cost-effective method. Before we adopt the block cave method for K02, suitable infrastructure will need to be developed at the bottom of the
An employee at Venetia Mine collects her rescue pack as part of mandatory safety procedures before going underground.
Showcasing De Beers Group’s natural diamonds.
DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026 | www.modernminingmagazine.co.za MODERN MINING 25
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