In a statement, Endiama said that the laboratory – owned by Endiama and implemented in partnership with the Geological Institute of Angola – aims to "prepare, analyze and characterize samples of kimberlitic and alluvial material to support diamond prospecting and research".
According to the note, the project comprises two buildings, having been "conceived and implemented by Angolan staff".
Built in a space of more than 1200 square meters, the project includes several areas, namely petrography, weighing, micrology, physical preparation of samples, among others.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the laboratory – which ensured employment for 15 young locals – Diamantino Azevedo said that it was the fulfillment of an objective that the tutelage set out to achieve.
Cited in the communiqué made available on Endiama's website, the minister said that for the development of the sector "in addition to the geological potential" it is necessary "good geological information and technical-scientific infrastructures to support this activity".
"This along with properly prepared human capital brings real success to the mining industry," he added.
In addition to the recently inaugurated laboratory in Saurimo, the official also highlighted that, in the current term, within the scope of the National Geology Plan (Planageo), the ministry managed to finish the building and central laboratories of the Geological Institute in Luanda as well as other infrastructures in Lubango.
"Today, we have enough quality infrastructure to be able to give due technical and scientific support to mining companies, academic institutions and all those institutions that need information to carry out their work", said Diamantino Azevedo.
He also appealed to companies in the sector and other interested parties to use "these infrastructures, because this will allow better planning of all economic activity" in the country.
In turn, Ganga Júnior, chairman of the Board of Directors of Endiama, also mentioned in the note, stressed that the creation of this laboratory is the result of the need that has always existed to solve problems in the field of diamond research in the country: "This laboratory is the result of a great need that we have always felt in Angola in terms of having a scheme that would allow us to solve all our problems in this field of research for diamonds".
Already Daniel Félix Neto, governor of Lunda Sul, considered the moment as "another important step" in the development of the region, having highlighted the attention given by the ministry to the province.
It should be noted that, in addition to the diamond laboratory, the regional laboratory of the Geological Institute of Angola was also inaugurated.
