TOP PROJECTS
trialled on the eastern side of the mine. “During the test phase, the LHD was set on semi-autonomous mode and programmed to study the tunnel layout. This LHD successfully loaded material and delivered it to the specific point,” explained Nel. Apart from autonomous trucks, Venetia is also evaluating the use of autonomous drills. “We recently acquired several new technologies such as automated drills, including a long-haul drill, face drills, automated trucks and electric LHDs, which are earmarked for use at the bottom of the mine where the routes are shorter.” Diamond market outlook Despite the cooled appetite for the precious stones, the diamond miner remains upbeat about the future for its product. “Underlying desirability for natural diamonds remains robust. We’ve been through these cycles before and have always seen demand recover strongly as consumer confidence improves. We are already seeing improved conditions compared with late 2023,” the company said in a statement. While growth in lab-grown diamonds continues to pose a challenge to the producer of natural diamonds, De Beers is confident that attraction for LGD is temporary and that individuals will soon pivot towards natural diamonds. “It is becoming increasingly clear to consumers and retailers alike that LGDs are an entirely different product to natural diamonds and they are increasingly occupying a distinct place in the jewellery sector, just as has been the case with other lab-grown gems which are focused on lower-priced fashion jewellery. Looking ahead, the positive outlook for natural diamond demand is supported not only by improving macroeconomic conditions as we move through the cycle and the bifurcation of LGDs and natural diamonds, but also by massive growth in the number of middle-class households in key consumer markets, and a fast- growing self-purchase segment as more of the world’s disposable income is controlled by women. We are already seeing encouraging signs that demand is stabilising in China following significant declines in recent years due to pandemic-related macroeconomic challenges.” n
Employees at Venetia Mine’s Integrated Operations Centre (IOC), where advanced technology and real-time data integration drive operational efficiency.
installed onto lamp caps. The roll-out of this innovation is imminent. “These measures underpin our achievement of 13 million fatality free shifts,” reiterated Ngema. Drive to automation Automation offers several benefits to miners, such as considerably improving safety by removing workers from hazardous areas, increasing productivity through continuous operation and reducing costs and maintenance expenses. Mining houses are increasingly adopting latest technologies and products, with De Beers leading the charge. According to Nel, 20% of the Venetia mine LHD fleet is fully automated, and the remaining 80% is automation ready. When it comes to underground dump trucks, two of the fourteen dump trucks are fully automated and the rest of the dump truck fleet is automation ready “To effectively automate the mine, we need the building blocks that include the necessary technologies and communication infrastructure. As it is, we are in the early stages of automation. Although the equipment is automation ready, the backbones and the communications systems are currently under development.” The miner is presently engaged in a study on how best to automate 46 Level East of the mine, which is located at 460 m below surface. Machine learning is being used to program equipment to navigate the underground tunnels and, to date, one LHD and two dump trucks have been
mine,” explained Nel. Production from Venetia underground is around 100 000 tons a month, with the miner set to double production to 200 000 tpm in 2026. Safety Touted as one of the safest mining operations in the country, De Beers Venetia mine achieved 13 million fatality free shifts in June 2025. According to Ngema, the last fatality occurred in March 2018. “This achievement is seven years in the making, and we are looking forward to extending this to eight, nine, ten years and beyond.” Given the drive to ensure its safety standards remain amongst the best in the world, the miner has implemented several initiatives including an environmental monitoring system (EMS), which monitors the occurrence of gases after each blast. Apart from keeping a watch on the underground ventilation and pump systems, Venetia mine also tracks the weather in real time. Of the four stages in the weather monitoring system, the orange and red stages are critical and call for the immediate evacuation of personnel from site. Further to this, De Beers uses the Mobilarius Personnel Location System (PLS) to track and manage its personnel in its mines. The system uses RFID technology to provide real-time location data, enhancing safety and operational efficiency in the mining environment. For ease of use, De Beers recently partnered with lamp cap manufacturers to have PLS
26 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | DECEMBER 2025 - JANUARY 2026
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