NAMDEB – INVESTMENT – NAMIBIA
Namdeb, the joint venture between De Beers and Namibia, is planning to spend NAD 750 million ($98 million) on new diamond exploration projects on the Namibian coast, RAPAPORT reported.
According to the report, Namdeb's group external affairs manager, Hilifa Mbako, said the exploration would be carried out in two separate projects on the beach, shallow and mid-water sections of the company’s existing mining areas.
Mbako said the deposit was estimated to have the potential to deliver 500,000 carats per annum, and added that the investment could rise to NAD 4 billion ($525 million) over the life of the projects if they proved viable.
Namdeb’s marine production rose 12 percent to $1.177 million carats in 2007, while its land production fell 3.5 percent to 999,000 carats.

LATIN AMERICAN MINERALS –  DIAMONDS – PARAGUAY
Minerals mining and exploration firm Latin American Minerals has reported the discovery of 10 diamonds from its Capiibary Diamond Exploration Property in northeastern Paraguay, IDEX Online reported. The diamonds, recovered during reconnaissance sampling of two small streams, range in size from 0.002 to 0.04 carats.
The Capiibary property, located approximately 100 kilometes north of the company’s Paso Yobai Gold Project, also in Paraguay, covers approximately 1,650 square kilometers.
Latin American Minerals notes that diamonds were originally found in the region by local prospectors panning for gold in the 1960s. Recently, the firm collected 16 samples at various locations in the region of an initial discovery, of which four samples contained diamonds and 14 contained kimberlite indicator minerals, including chrome spinels and garnets.
The diamonds from the samples ranged in color from champagne to brilliant white, slightly abraded, with several exhibiting “exceptional crystal structures suggesting minimal alluvial transport,” Latin American said in a statement.
 “This discovery demonstrates Latin American’s commitment to regional exploration and our ability to find new exciting exploration plays in remote parts of South America,” commented Dr. Waldo Perez, Senior VP Exploration.
Latin American Minerals, with minerals mining operations in Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia, mining gold, diamonds, zinc, copper, lead and silver, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

BRC DIAMONDCORE – TENDER – NOTHERN CAPE
BRC DiamondCore reported Thursday that it sold 1,325.60 carats for $668,845 at its fourth tender of diamonds recovered in trial mining at its Paardeberg East kimberlite and Silverstreams alluvial projects in Northern Cape Province, South Africa, RAPAPORT reported.
The average price achieved at the tender was $504.56 per carat.
Within the parcel, 400.77 carats came from Silverstreams with an average value of $1,219 per carat, and included a 14.56 carat white octahedron/dodecahedron, which sold for $2,615 per carat; a 14 carat white irregular dodecahedron, which sold for $7,202 per carat; and an 11.58 carat white irregular dodecahedron, which sold for $1,277 per carat.
The remaining 924.83 carats from Paardeberg East at an average value of $194.81 per carat.
In the four tender's held to date this year this year, BRC has sold 9,694.13 carats for $5.6 million, or approximately $574 per carat.

Rough&Polished