Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, assured this Monday that the Luaxe mining project could soon start its diamond production.

Diamantino Azevedo was speaking to the press at the end of another visit to the Luele Mining Company, located in the province of Lunda-Sul.

The minister said that the work is taking place within the established schedule, having highlighted the commitment of those responsible for the Luaxe project, whose execution is in the order of 80%, with a work team composed mostly of young Angolans.

“Soon the project will have its official production activity and will become an important contributor to diamond production in Angola and will contribute to the country’s economic growth and to improving the quality of life of the people of this region,” he said.

The official also said that mining activity has its own assumptions, starting with the recognition phase, but one can only move on to the development stage when it is concluded that there is ore in quantity, quality and geological conditions for its exploitation.

“In mining activity we have to be patient, we have to take into account the high risk in the prospecting, research and capital intensity phases and this whole process takes a few years,” said the minister.

It is recalled that prospecting activities in Luaxe began in 2012 and in 2017 work began on a volume of 34 million of mining mass, reaching a depth of 95 meters.