Angola | Government extends diamond mining concession area

The concession area awarded by the Angolan government to mining company Sociedade Mineira do Lulo to mine alluvial diamonds has been “significantly extended” to 1,500 square kilometers, the Lucapa Diamond Company said last week.
In a statement, the Australian company said the information had been provided by the Ministry of Geology and Mines, and that the previous Lulo concession area, valid for a period of 35 years, was 218 square kilometers.
The Lucapa Diamond Company also said the extended operation area is now half of the entire Lulo alluvium concession, in the Angolan province of Lunda Norte.
“Lucapa and its partners were granted [an additional concession by the Angolan government] at no additional cost,” said the same statement, and the Australian company expects “positive results” from this extension.
The Lucapa Diamond Company’s partners in this project are Angolan companies Endiama and private group Rosas & Pétalas.
The Lulo concession lies 150 kilometers from the Catoca diamond mine, which has the largest kimberlite in Angola and the fourth largest in the world, and both are located in the same geological area. MDT/Macauhub