Mining Weekly | Africa

• Russian, Angolan diamond groups sign MoU
  Russia’s predominantly State-owned global diamond mining major Alrosa and Angola’s State-owned national diamond mining company Endiama signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) early this month. This marks the latest stage in the development of the relationship between the two entities, which have been cooperating for more than 25 years. They are the co-founders and main shareholders (with 41% each) in Angola’s largest diamond mining company, Catoca. (Catoca has estimated reserves of 120-million carats, and mines and sells about 6.8-million carats of diamonds a year.) Also, since 2014 they have been jointly exploring for diamonds in Angola.
• Roxgold to start drilling at newly acquired Séguéla
  TSX-listed Roxgold has completed a previously announced portfolio acquisition worth $20-million from Newcrest West Africa, which comprises 11 exploration permits in Côte d'Ivoire. The transaction includes the Séguéla project, which CEO and president John Dorward says has significant growth potential in the near-term through the near-surface Antenna deposit and attractive satellite opportunities, as well as a highly prospective large land package.
• Orion reawakening global geological giant in Northern Cape
  Three years ago, Orion Minerals was trading at an eighth of an Australian cent a share. It had a market capitalisation of $4-milllion and set out to find something that could be turned into a mine. The good news is that the company found that opportunity in South Africa, and its share price has since had a 4.5-times value uplift.