Botswana will host the Diamonds Still Sparkling Conference for the second time in six years. The sixth in a series of triennial diamond conferences, Diamonds Still Sparkling 2016 will be held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre and com-prises a workshop on March 14, a two-day conference on March 15 and 16 and a technical visit on March17. The conference targets the spectrum of the diamond pipe- line, from exploration to sales and marketing, with workshops featuring presentations by experts in mining and related fields.

One such expert, mining advisory SRK Consulting (SA) geotechnical consultant Debbie Olivier, will be presenting a paper on waste rock dump management and stability evaluation at the conference.

Olivier’s paper will describe and evaluate approaches and procedures used for a basalt waste dump life-of-mine design analysis. The paper, while focusing on a Southern African diamond mine operation, will also touch on the evolution of waste dump management and its progression to a more scientific approach.

The conference will also feature presentations and papers on mine expansion projects, mining, metallurgical and beneficiation technology, rough diamond sales and marketing, cutting and polishing, financial services and industry analysis, as well as industry governance and legislation updates.

The conference – last held in Botswana in 2010 – is organ-ised by professional mining association Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM). SRK Consulting will be sponsoring and exhibiting at the event and its mining business head Marcin Wertz is on the organising committee. He will also be giving a presentation dealing with the transition from openpit to underground mining at the workshop on March 14.

The conference, first held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2003, started as a biennial event. Johannesburg retained its hosting duties for the 2005 and 2007 iterations. Bypassing 2009, owing to the effects of the world economy falling into global recession in 2008, the conference moved to Gaborone in 2010.

The move was predominantly owed to the fact that Botswana is Africa’s largest diamond pro- ducer, but could also be attrib-uted to the dramatic recovery of Botswana’s diamond exports in 2010, especially, since all four of its main diamond mines mothballed their operations within the first half of 2009. The conference venue has alternated between Johannesburg and Gaborone ever since.

Prepayment of all registration fees is required on or before the date of the event. Delegates who have not paid will not be permitted to attend the event. The fees cover attendance at all technical sessions and cocktail parties, all refreshments and lunches, as well as an abstract booklet with a CD containing files on all the papers presented at the conference.

While the registration fees do not include accommodation, all delegates qualify for a discounted rate when booking their own accommodation at the venue. Delegates must indicate that they are part of the conference when booking with a block code at the Metcourt Inn and the Walmont Hotel, located at the Grand Palm Casino and Resort, in Gaborone.

Attendees who are not members of SAIMM are entitled to free membership up until June 30.