Fluor Awarded Debswana Contract for Diamond Mine Expansion in Africa

Fluor Awarded Debswana Contract for Diamond Mine Expansion in Africa

Fluor Corporation announced that the company won an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract from Debswana Diamond Company Ltd, a joint venture of the Government of Botswana and De Beers, to execute the Jwaneng Cut 8 mining project in Botswana. After successfully completing the feasibility study for Debswana earlier in 2009, Fluor was awarded the procurement and construction management phases of the project valued at approximately $450 million in the last quarter of 2009.

Jwaneng Cut 8 is at the forefront of a number of projects being developed by Fluor as part of a portfolio which includes a new diamond processing plant at the Orapa Diamond Mine and the expansion of the Morupule Coal Mine. The project name “Cut 8” refers to the current open pit mine being expanded to facilitate access to the kimberlite ore at a greater depth. This expansion includes relocating and rebuilding portions of existing surface infrastructure that are impacted by the pit expansion.

“Fluor has a long and successful track record of providing both technical and EPCM services to the diamond industries in Botswana, South Africa, Australia and Canada,” said Dwayne Wilson, group executive of Fluor Corporation. “This award is indeed a major step in continuing our strategic relationship with one of our key clients as well as enabling Fluor to position itself for future mining projects in the region.”

To facilitate the successful development of all projects in the region, Fluor has registered an office in Botswana. The Cut 8 project alone will generate employment for approximately 1,400 Botswana citizens supported by Fluor’s Johannesburg, South Africa office.

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