TRANS HEX SCORES WORLD-FIRST WITH NEW MARINE MINING TOOL

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TRANS HEX SCORES WORLD-FIRST WITH NEW MARINE MINING TOOL

A SHALLOW-WATER MINING TOOL COMMISSIONED BY DIAMOND MINING GROUP TRANS HEX IS
SET TO POTENTIALLY REVOLUTIONISE DIVER-MINING ACTIVITIES IN WATER DEPTHS LESS
THAN 30-METRES.

THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT - VALUED IN EXCESS OF R6-MILLION -
INCLUDES THE PURCHASE OF A SMALL TENDER VESSEL SUITABLE FOR FERRYING THE TOOL,
DIVING CREW AND PRIMARY SCREENING EQUIPMENT.  INITIAL TESTS WILL BE CARRIED OUT
LOCALLY BEFORE THE VESSEL AND TOOL UNDERGO FULL SEA TRIALS OFF THE WEST COAST.
ANDRE LOUW, TRANS HEX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF MARINE OPERATIONS
EXPLAINS: "WEST COAST DIAMOND DIVING OPERATIONS ARE OFTEN HAMPERED BY THE
PRESENCE OF LARGE BOULDERS ON THE SEA FLOOR.  THESE HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY
REMOVED BEFORE THE DIAMOND-BEARING GRAVELS CAN BE REACHED - OFTEN TAKING UP TO
80% OF THE AVAILABLE DIVING TIME."

"THIS BECOMES MORE CRITICAL WHEN ONE REALISES THAT INCLEMENT WEATHER OFF THE
WEST COAST GREATLY REDUCES THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE DIVING DAYS. ANY METHOD OF
IMPROVING PRODUCTION DURING DIVING SHOULD HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON DIAMONDS
RECOVERED," ADDS LOUW.

THE MINING TOOL, WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY SIX TONNES, HAS BEEN EQUIPPED WITH A
FLEXIBLE EXCAVATOR ARM AND SCREEN BUCKET WHICH PROVIDES MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE
FOR WHAT PREVIOUSLY WAS A MANUAL TASK.  IN ADDITION, THE ADDED STABILITY
AFFORDED BY THE SHEER BULK OF THE TOOL WILL ENABLE DIVERS TO OPERATE IN
CONDITIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY UNSUITABLE.

THE DESIGN PARAMETERS OF THE UNIT WERE QUITE SPECIFIC.  REQUIRING A MACHINE
SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST TO OPERATE IN A HARSH MARINE ENVIRONMENT YET BE SMALL AND
MANOEUVRABLE ENOUGH TO SQUEEZE INTO DIAMOND-BEARING CRACKS AND GULLIES ON THE
OCEAN FLOOR.

STRICT WEIGHT LIMITS HAD TO BE MET, IN LINE WITH THE LOAD CAPACITY OF A SMALLER
VESSEL WHILE AT ALL TIMES KEEPING THE SAFETY OF OPERATORS AND BOAT-BASED CREW
PARAMOUNT.

WITH THIS TOOL'S MECHANICAL EXCAVATOR ARM AND BUCKET, A MACHINE-BASED OPERATOR
WILL CLEAR THE MINING ZONE.  IN ADDITION A SECOND, AND POSSIBLY THIRD, DIVER
WILL OPERATE A SUCTION HOSE CLEARING THE DIAMONDIFEROUS GRAVEL FOR PROCESSING
ON-BOARD THE MOTHER VESSEL.

THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE SHALLOW-WATER TOOL, AND THE DEPLOYMENT
EQUIPMENT ON-BOARD THE VESSEL, HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY CAPE-BASED PETREL
ENGINEERING.  WITH MORE THAN 50 YEARS SPECIALISED EXPERIENCE IN THE MARINE
ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT, THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT BROUGHT TO BEAR KNOWLEDGE
ACCUMULATED THROUGH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A VARIETY OF SUB-SEA
PROJECTS USED ALONG THE WEST COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA AND NAMIBIA.

"PETREL HAVE EXCELLED THEMSELVES ON THIS R&D PROJECT.  THEIR INFORMATION
GATHERING PROCESS, INCLUDING COUNTLESS INTERVIEWS WITH DIVERS TO DETERMINE
THEIR NEEDS, TOGETHER WITH THE USE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED COMPUTER MODELLING
PROGRAMMES HAS RESULTED IN A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S ON TIME AND WITHIN
BUDGET," SAID LOUW.  "MORE IMPORTANTLY, EARLY INDICATIONS SHOW THE TOOL WILL
MEET ITS OPERATIONAL EXPECTATIONS."

THE MINING TOOL, PRIMARY SCREENING EQUIPMENT AND CREW WILL BE BASED ON THE
160-TONNE MV LEE G - SOON-TO-BE-NAMED MV PAFURI.  PURCHASED IN THE UNITED
STATES AND CONVERTED IN CAPE TOWN USING LOCAL EXPERTISE, THE FORMER OIL RIG
SUPPLY VESSEL IS IDEALLY SUITED TO OPERATING IN THE SHALLOW-WATER ZONE WHERE
THE MINING TOOL WILL BE DEPLOYED.

TWELVE CREWMEMBERS, INCLUDING FOUR DIVERS AND A DIVING SUPERVISOR, WILL ENSURE
THE MINING UNIT HAS, DEPENDING ON WATER DEPTH, 24-HOUR OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY.
DIVING OPERATIONS WILL CONTINUE - WEATHER PERMITTING - UNTIL THE FULL LOAD OF
DIAMOND CONCENTRATE, APPROXIMATELY 60-TONNES, HAS BEEN RECOVERED. WHEREUPON THE
VESSEL WILL RETURN TO PORT WHERE FINAL PROCESSING WILL TAKE PLACE.

TRANS HEX HAS ACHIEVED WORLDWIDE ACCLAIM FOR ITS ABILITY TO RECOVER AND MARKET
DIAMONDS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY.  TENDERS ARE HELD REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE
YEAR ATTRACTING DIAMOND BUYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, OFTEN COMMANDING PREMIUM
PRICES FOR THE TYPES OF STONES ON OFFER.

TRANS HEX GROUP HOLDS ALMOST 20 000KM(2) OF SEA CONCESSIONS OFF THE SOUTH
AFRICAN AND NAMIBIAN COASTS.  RENEWED EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON DEVELOPING
THESE RESOURCES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY AND INCREASING
TRADITIONAL DIVER OPERATIONS.
ENDS.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION      :       ANDRE LOUW

                                     TRANS HEX GROUP

                                     TEL: (021) 939-1105

ISSUED BY                    :       CULLUM JOHNSTON

                                     BHA COMMUNICATIONS

                                     TEL: (021) 683-2685 / 083 212-2455
DATE                         :       20TH OCTOBER 2000