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Potential for offsetting diamond mine carbon emissions through mineral carbonation of processed kimberlite: an assessment of De Beers mine sites in South Africa and Canada

Mineralogy and Petrology volume 112, pages 755–765 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

De Beers kimberlite mine operations in South Africa (Venetia and Voorspoed) and Canada (Gahcho Kué, Victor, and Snap Lake) have the potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) through weathering of kimberlite mine tailings, which can store carbon in secondary carbonate minerals (mineral carbonation). Carbonation of ca. 4.7 to 24.0 wt% (average = 13.8 wt%) of annual processed kimberlite production could offset 100% of each mine site’s carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Minerals of particular interest for reactivity with atmospheric or waste CO2 from energy production include serpentine minerals, olivine (forsterite), brucite, and smectite. The most abundant minerals, such as serpentine polymorphs, provide the bulk of the carbonation potential. However, the detection of minor amounts of highly reactive brucite in tailings from Victor, as well as the likely presence of brucite at Venetia, Gahcho Kué, and Snap Lake, is also important for the mineral carbonation potential of the mine sites.

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Acknowledgements

De Beers and Anglo American are thanked for financial support and for permission to publish this research. De Beers Consolidated Mines and De Beers Canada are thanked for providing samples and for assistance with field work. De Beers Creative Services is thanked for providing Figs. 1 and 2 and for assistance with Fig. 3. Kate Carroll and Bart de Baere at The University of British Columbia are thanked for assistance with sample processing and mineral surface area measurements. Two anonymous reviewers and handling editor David B. Snyder are thanked for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The De Beers Group of Companies, DBM Gardens, Golf Park 2, Raapenberg Road, Pinelands, Cape Town, 7405, South Africa

    Evelyn M. Mervine & Zandile Miya

  2. Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Siobhan A. Wilson

  3. School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment, Monash University, 9 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Siobhan A. Wilson, Connor C. Turvey & Jessica L. Hamilton

  4. School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9L 0G2, Canada

    Ian M. Power

  5. Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Gregory M. Dipple, Connor C. Turvey, Sterling Vanderzee & Mati Raudsepp

  6. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia

    Jessica L. Hamilton & Gordon Southam

  7. Bond Business School, Bond University, 14 University Drive, Robina, QLD, 4226, Australia

    Colette Southam

  8. National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

    Juerg M. Matter

  9. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, New York, 10964, USA

    Peter B. Kelemen

  10. Anglo American Operations Ltd., 45 Main Street, 6th Floor, Marshalltown, Johannesburg, 2107, South Africa

    Johann Stiefenhofer

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  1. Evelyn M. Mervine
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  2. Siobhan A. Wilson
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  3. Ian M. Power
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  7. Sterling Vanderzee
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  8. Mati Raudsepp
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  14. Gordon Southam
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Evelyn M. Mervine.

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Editorial handling: D. B. Snyder

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Mervine, E.M., Wilson, S.A., Power, I.M. et al. Potential for offsetting diamond mine carbon emissions through mineral carbonation of processed kimberlite: an assessment of De Beers mine sites in South Africa and Canada. Miner Petrol 112 (Suppl 2), 755–765 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-018-0589-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-018-0589-4

Keywords

  • Mineral carbonation
  • Carbon mineralization
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Carbonate
  • Kimberlite
  • Diamond mining