Africa Oil & Gas: Angola has diamonds estimated at 1 billion carats

Angola has a total of 1 billion carats of diamonds, of which more than 950 million in kimberlites and at least 50 million in alluviums, said on Friday in Luanda the deputy director of the Geological Prospecting Unit of Russian group Alrosa.

Victor Ustinov also said that that number could reach 1.5 billion carats if additional studies were carried out to learn more about the potential of the country.

The study, conducted by Angolan and Russian geologists, has allowed Angola’s territory to be divided into four areas with diamond potential areas, which were characterized as having high potential, likely potential, without potential and moving bands, according to Angolan news agency Angop.

Geologists have concluded that most of the kimberlites discovered in the country are located in northeastern Angola and belong to an area called “open territories,” where they are exposed to the air and are visible.

These territories represent only 20% of the Angolan territory, while the remaining 80% represent covert kimberlites.

The study was carried out under the cooperation agreement between the Alrosa group and Angolan national diamond company Endiama, which covers mining, scientific research and prospecting of new diamond deposits.

In 2016, 9 million carats of diamonds were extracted in Angola, of which 7 million by Sociedade Mineira de Catoca, in the province of Lunda Sul. (source: macauhub)