Angola set to have industrial pole for cutting of diamonds
A pole for diamond-cutting factories, a professional technical school and other diamond-related industries in Angola are set to be inaugurated this year in Saurimo, Lunda Sul province.
The implementation of the Pole, a project developed by Endiama and Sodiam, is in the final phase and will allow new diamond-cutting plants to be installed in the province, said Minister of Mineral Resources and Oil Diamantino Azevedo.
The minister, who was speaking at the end-of-year compliance ceremony, spoke about restructuring in the sector and added that the Ministry wants more companies to invest in diamond mining and exploration.
He said that the restructuring program for the mining sector will continue in the next year, with the alteration of the process of commercialization of diamonds, allowing the increase of the lapidation of this mineral resource.
Angola has only one diamond polishing plant "Angola Polishing Diamonds SA" (APD), located in the municipality of Belas (Talatona), in Luanda, with a production capacity of five thousand carats of diamonds / month.
Regarding the oil sub-sector, it reported on the mapping program underway in the country, an activity that will allow the installation of fuel supply stations and facilitate investment initiatives in this sector.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum, Diamantino Azevedo, reaffirmed that the country can begin, from 2019, the gold exploration.
He added that several companies in the country are prospecting for gold and hope that this venture will succeed.
The sector is also committed to the revitalization of iron ore and manganese ore, the prospecting of copper and other mineral resources.
Diamantino Azevedo hopes that exploration projects in progress in the country may lead to mining projects.
Due to the importance of the cadres, he said that the sector will continue with training of technicians, through the improvement of the National Petroleum Institute, aiming at training more cadres in the areas of oil, mining, renewable energy and gas.
Regarding the activities to be carried out in 2019, he announced that a conference will be held in Luanda on oil and gas, and another on ornamental rocks in the city of Lubango (Huíla), as well as other formative events that will address themes related to other mineral resources .
Regarding local content in the oil and gas industry, he said that legislation is being revised, a legal instrument that will facilitate the insertion of more national companies in this activity.
