They made some very, very determined efforts to buy out DiaMet and DHL back in the late 80s. According to some of the published accounts, the efforts bordered on legality. At that time, however, deBeers was busy trying to plug the leaky Russian diamond embargo as well as prevent the Australian mines from coming online.
It is my understanding that the federal government intervened on the side of the Canadian mining concerns. deBeers had too many things to deal with.
Despite the best efforts of deBeers, the advent of practical airborne geophysics, computer modeling, and cheap computers to do the modeling on, proved too much for them to deal with. In the past, the work was very manpower intensive over a very few spots. Suddenly, instead of a few dozen anomalies to check, there were THOUSANDS. Each one, a potential kimberlite pipe. Kimberlite pipes are actually quite small, only a few Ha in size. And, since the material is quite readily erroded, they are often the site of lakes or swamps thanks to our wonderful post glacial climate.
Now that there are Canadian diamonds, pleasantly blood and indentured labor free, they want in on the act. Canadian and Aussie diamonds command a premium price on the market due to their lack of blood, violence, etc.
For those feeling skeptical about the benefits for the community, please look into the experiences with DiaMet in the NWT - the Innu pretty much own and run the mine and much of the the money goes to long term economic and social development. I am not sure if that is a game that deBeers is capable of playing.
I worked for a German uranium mining firm in the arctic and they were incapable of this sort of interaction with the locals, feeling it was better to influence officials and then conduct 'business as usual' as they did in Latin America and Africa. It did not go over well - the company no longer operates in Canada.
So, yeah, I am in favor of such development provided it is done right - particularly for the natives.
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Date: 2008-02-25 08:59 pm (UTC)It is my understanding that the federal government intervened on the side of the Canadian mining concerns. deBeers had too many things to deal with.
Despite the best efforts of deBeers, the advent of practical airborne geophysics, computer modeling, and cheap computers to do the modeling on, proved too much for them to deal with. In the past, the work was very manpower intensive over a very few spots. Suddenly, instead of a few dozen anomalies to check, there were THOUSANDS. Each one, a potential kimberlite pipe. Kimberlite pipes are actually quite small, only a few Ha in size. And, since the material is quite readily erroded, they are often the site of lakes or swamps thanks to our wonderful post glacial climate.
Now that there are Canadian diamonds, pleasantly blood and indentured labor free, they want in on the act. Canadian and Aussie diamonds command a premium price on the market due to their lack of blood, violence, etc.
For those feeling skeptical about the benefits for the community, please look into the experiences with DiaMet in the NWT - the Innu pretty much own and run the mine and much of the the money goes to long term economic and social development. I am not sure if that is a game that deBeers is capable of playing.
I worked for a German uranium mining firm in the arctic and they were incapable of this sort of interaction with the locals, feeling it was better to influence officials and then conduct 'business as usual' as they did in Latin America and Africa. It did not go over well - the company no longer operates in Canada.
So, yeah, I am in favor of such development provided it is done right - particularly for the natives.
Jeff