Letlhakane diamond mine
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The Letlhakane diamond mine is a diamond mine located in Botswana about 190 kilometers (120 miles) west of the city of Francistown. Letlhakane, meaning "little reeds", is owned by Debswana, a partnership between the De Beers company and the government of Botswana. It is the second oldest of four mines operated by the company, having begun operations in 1975.
Letlhakane is of open pit construction. The mine produces 3.6 million tons per year of ore and an additional 15 million tons per year of waste rock. In 2003, the Letlhakane mine produced 1.06 million carats (212 kg) of diamond. The recoverable ore grade at the mine is about 0.26 carats (52 mg) per ton. As of 2005, known reserves will allow production at current levels to continue for 11 years. The ore produced at Letlhakane is processed at a processing plant at its sister mine, Orapa diamond mine, about 50 km (30 miles) distant. The Letlhakane mine is also managed from the Orapa mine.
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