SOUTH AMERICA'S FIRST KIMBERLITE DIAMOND MINE

It’s 20 years since the Venezuelan mining company Canteras El Toco first discovered diamond-bearing kimberlite in the jungles of Bolivar State in southern Venezuela, and production of diamonds from the concessions it acquired will soon be getting underway.

ROBERT E. COOPER President of Canteras El Toco

The enterprise is testimony to the patience and faith that are often required in mining. But Robert Cooper, President of Canteras El Toco, was convinced from the start that the company was on to a winner.
“The tremendous undeveloped mineral potential in Venezuela attracted us,” he says. “We came down and financed the project ourselves, and began exploring and searching for the sources of the diamonds.”

The company later garnered support from investors in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Venezuela itself to help finance development costs. The first mine slated to go into operation is at Guaniamo, but Mr. Cooper says there will be more in the future.
“We’re right on the edge of starting production from what will be the first large scale kimberlite diamond mine in the history of South America,” he says.

“In the beginning, all the diamonds will be exported to international markets. But maybe in the future it would be possible to do some cutting and polishing in Venezuela.”
Much of the labor for the mining operations has been recruited locally. “We believe in using the local workforce, training them and educating them to the point where they can become higher-skilled workers,” Mr. Cooper explains.

“In addition, I believe that any mining company has a major social responsibility towards helping the communities in the areas wherever they may be operating.”
That sense of responsibility extends to the environment. Local miners, often using crude techniques, have already been active in the area where Canteras El Toco will be operating, and have left some environmental damage which the company intends to help recover.
“One of the things we are really excited about is that, through mining, we will actually be improving the environment,” Mr. Cooper enthuses.

“We have a small plantation where we have ongoing experiments to see what type of trees and plants we can put into recovered areas. We have many projects which we are developing with local community groups and environmental groups, in order to use these recovered areas to assist and diversify the local economy.”