JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The Lerala diamond mine, in the Palapye region of Botswana, on Wednesday sold for more than $8-million in an online auction, confirmed liquidity services and auctioneers GoIndustry Dovebid South Africa associate director John Taylor.
The winning bidder, which will be confirmed later this week, and the auctioneers are currently handling the transfer of mining rights and associated paperwork with regards to the sale.
AdvertisementThe auction opened on May 24, following 12 interested parties’ visit to a data room that the auctioneers set up to share geology reports and mine data of the Lerala mine.
The mine is situated in north-east Botswana and comprises five diamondiferous kimberlite pipes, ranging from 0.16 ha to 2.35 ha. One pit has been partially developed and mined.
AdvertisementThe site is not far from miner Debswana’s Orapa openpit diamond mine, in the central district of Botswana.
The transaction includes the transfer of the mining licence and rights; a complete processing plant, which includes a 200 t/h conventional fines plant and a course dense medium separation plant; final integrated X-ray recovery house; primary jaw crusher; secondary cone crusher; high-pressure roll crusher; scrubbers; material reticulation of conveyors; screens; bins; thickener plant and tailing dams; diesel generator plant; electrical reticulation; workshops; offices; and a mining camp.
The public auction event included the sale of the pits, the resource, the process plant and ancillary equipment. To bid, interested parties had to pay a refundable P5-million deposit.