The Tokyo-based company is expanding its global aftermarket footprint by taking over a business that operates 161 stores across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Founded in 1967, TiAuto’s portfolio includes well-known regional brands such as Tiger Wheel & Tyre, Tyres & More, and Treads Unlimited. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The deal highlights Marubeni’s ongoing strategy to leverage its global automotive maintenance expertise, adding to existing networks across Asia and Latin America. By establishing a foothold in Southern Africa, the Japanese conglomerate aims to tap into growing regional demand for vehicle servicing and parts.

For TiAuto, the backing of a global industrial powerhouse offers the resources needed to scale its operations. Chief Executive Officer Alex Taplin noted that the partnership validates the company’s regional footprint while positioning it for future expansion.

“This is an exciting new chapter for TiAuto,” Taplin said in a statement. “Marubeni’s investment is a strong endorsement of our strategy, our market position and the opportunities that lie ahead.”

The transaction will give TiAuto access to international best practices, though day-to-day operations are expected to remain unchanged for employees, suppliers, and franchise partners. Management intends to maintain its local leadership team and customer-facing corporate culture.

“By combining TiAuto’s deep understanding of African markets with Marubeni’s global capabilities, we will be well positioned to strengthen our offering, enhance customer experiences and continue investing in the future of our business,” Taplin said.

The completion of the acquisition remains subject to standard closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

The post Marubeni Enters African Auto Sector With Deal for South Africa’s TiAuto appeared first on Namibian Mining News.

The Namibian operations run through De Beers’ 50:50 joint venture with the Namibian government, spanning Namdeb’s land-based diamond recovery and Debmarine Namibia’s offshore mining. Anglo American continues to progress the De Beers separation, via either divestment or demerger, as part of unlocking value under the Origins strategy it announced in May 2024. The decline was broad-based across nearly every line item. Wages and related payments dipped 1.1% to US$88 million from US$89 million, while community and social investment held flat at US$3 million, the only category to avoid a cut.

Total procurement fell 24.9% to US$238 million from US$317 million, with local procurement down 12.9% to US$135 million from US$155 million. Capital expenditure was hit hardest of all, dropping 58.1% to US$18 million from US$43 million, a signal worth watching for the pace of future investment in Namibian operations. Fiscal contributions followed the same trajectory. Taxes and royalties borne, plus taxes collected, fell 25% to US$102 million from US$136 million. Within that, corporate income tax dropped 66.7% to US$4 million from US$12 million, royalties and mining taxes fell 14.3% to US$30 million from US$35 million, other payments borne declined 12.5% to US$14 million, and taxes collected slid 24.7% to US$55 million from US$73 million.

Namibia is one of four countries alongside Botswana, Canada and South Africa, where De Beers produces around one-third of the world’s rough diamonds by value, so the pullback there is a data point for the diamond market more broadly, not just a single-country story. The company’s Tax and Economic Contribution Report 2025 frames the ongoing separation as central to unlocking full value from the Origins strategy’s four key pillars, supported by a broader business-streamlining push. On the resource side, De Beers’ major operations remain large, long-life assets with significant life-extension potential.

Kimberlite discoveries have been scarce in recent years, with the notable exception of a new kimberlite field identified in Angola, a find the report frames as reinforcing De Beers’ competitive position in the industry’s upstream segment. Combined with rising middle-class growth in key diamond-consuming markets, the report points to favourable long-term prospects for the business, even as it navigates near-term headwinds across the industry.

The post Namibia Feels the Pinch as Anglo Payouts Decline – Update appeared first on Namibian Mining News.

The London-traded explorer reported a series of shallow, high-grade total rare earth oxide (TREO) intercepts from its latest diamond drilling program, using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis. The results from drill holes TKDD004 through TKDD006 confirm extensive continuity across the project’s carbonatite complex, a geological formation highly prized for harboring critical technology metals.

The findings come at a critical juncture for Western explorers racing to secure alternative supplies of rare earths, which are vital components in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and defense technologies.

According to the company, drill hole TKDD004 pierced continuous mineralization from the surface down to 5.5 meters, yielding an average grade of 2.3 weight percent (wt%) TREO. That interval included peak zones grading up to 3.61 wt% TREO. Meanwhile, TKDD005 positioned to test the shallowest extents of the system returned 2.35 wt% TREO over an 8-meter stretch directly from the surface.

The most robust results emerged from hole TKDD006, which cut through an extensive mineralized zone defined by multiple stacked, high-grade intervals. These included 2.5 meters at 3.4 wt% TREO from a depth of just 3.25 meters, alongside several other intercepts averaging over 3 wt% TREO down to 32.75 meters.

Crucially for potential economics, the lower-grade rock separating these premium intercepts still averaged a potent 2.04 wt% TREO across a combined 20 meters of the drill hole, underscoring the remarkably uniform nature of the deposit.

“Further evidence of excellent continuity of mineralization is enhanced by the presence of mineralized drill intercepts beginning at surface,” said Colin Bird, Executive Chairman of Kendrick Resources. “Mineralization is found occurring over substantial widths and it is important to note that between the highlighted high-grade intercepts we have continuous mineralization running at equally impressive grades relative to TK’s peers at an average grade of approximately 2 wt% TREO.”

Kendrick stated that the drill core has been comprehensively logged and dispatched to an independent laboratory for formal assay testing. The upcoming laboratory data will be used to validate the initial pXRF readings and pave the way for a maiden resource estimation.

Management expects the upcoming data to further de-risk the asset, cementing its potential to host a globally significant, easily extractable shallow rare earth resource.

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The N2® Air Cannon Intelligence (ACI) System gives operators of cement plants and other large-scale, high-temperature facilities unprecedented insight into how their air cannons are performing – enabling entire installations to be optimised like never before.

Part of Martin’s N2® Enhanced remote monitoring portfolio, ACI represents the biggest technological advancement since air cannons were first introduced by Martin Engineering over half a century ago to improve material flow through raw mills, preheaters, kiln feeds, coolers, silos, chutes and other process vessels.

Developed at Martin’s Center for Innovation in Neponset, Illinois, N2® ACI has been refined during two years of real-world trials with leading cement producers in the USA as well as Brazil, France, Turkey and the UK.  These test installations have helped Martin’s R&D team to fine-tune the platform’s monitoring algorithms, ensuring useability and demonstrable operational benefits in the most demanding industrial settings.

In major bulk processing plants, arrays of air cannons provide carefully sequenced blasts of compressed air to dislodge material clinging to the inner walls of process vessels – especially important for fine, sticky, moisture-rich feedstocks and fuels.  Industrial operations like cement plants can have well over a hundred cannons throughout the process.  But the enclosed nature of such vessels means that in the past it has been virtually impossible to know if air cannons are performing as expected to keep the inner walls clear of buildups – unless each is inspected manually during a full plant shutdown.

Now, with N2® ACI operators have access to continuous monitoring and detailed performance analytics through a secure web-based dashboard and mobile interface. Fitted to each air cannon on a plant, the ACI sensor measures firing characteristics from which underlying problems can be diagnosed. That means maintenance issues can be fixed before they result in unscheduled downtime and, crucially, air cannon arrays can be modified for optimum performance.

Brad Pronschinske, Global Air Cannon Product Manager for Martin Engineering said:
“Air cannons have been around for more than 50 years, but until now there has been no reliable way for plant operators to understand how effectively they are actually performing as a sequence.

“With ACI we’re not just trying to tell plant operators whether a cannon fired or not. We’re helping them operate more efficiently by interpreting data from the sensors so they can improve system performance, for example by adjusting firing sequences and improving installation positioning, as well as better manage preventive maintenance. Potential problems can be identified earlier, reducing unnecessary downtime and helping maintenance teams make smart decisions to optimise their systems.”

Traditional air cannon inspection methods often require maintenance personnel to manually trigger systems while visually observing pressure gauges.  However, partial nozzle blockages and performance degradation can go unnoticed for long periods, resulting in reduced effectiveness, excessive compressed air and energy consumption, and increased risk of production interruptions.

Customer trials have also demonstrated important safety benefits. By reducing the need for manual inspections and emergency cleanout procedures, the system helps minimise worker exposure to hazardous environments, confined spaces and high-temperature process areas.  Reports from customer evaluations also highlighted reductions in manual water jetting, fewer emergency interventions and improved understanding of when maintenance is genuinely required.

The system operates through wireless battery-powered nodes mounted directly to air cannons, communicating via long-range radio frequency to a single cellular gateway capable of supporting more than 1,000 sensors across a site.  Because ACI operates independently of plant wi-fi or control networks, installation can typically be completed without requiring a plant shutdown.

Martin says the platform is also designed to support long-term reliability and optimisation strategies by maintaining detailed historical records for every monitored cannon, including service events, firing trends and component performance data.

Pronschinske added: “Many customers simply don’t have the time or resources to continuously monitor air cannon performance.  ACI gives them actionable information automatically, helping maintenance teams focus attention where it’s actually needed to keep critical material flow systems operating reliably.  By turning traditional air cannons into intelligent, connected assets, plants can move from reactive maintenance to proactive performance management.

“ACI also gives maintenance teams early visibility into cannon performance, allowing them to identify inefficiencies, improve firing sequences and address possible problems before they impact production.  The technology helps facilities operate more reliably and efficiently, while reducing wasted labour, compressed air consumption and unnecessary wear on critical equipment across demanding bulk material handling applications. Ultimately ACI helps optimise process flow, reduce costly unplanned downtime and improve workplace safety by limiting the need for manual inspections.

The N2® ACI System will be introduced throughout the Martin network over the coming months and years, with further installations already underway.

The post Martin Engineering launches world first N2® Air Cannon Intelligence System appeared first on Namibian Mining News.

8 m produced in segmented form), all tailored to meet the demands of particular applications. SKF’s offering spans slewing bearings from four and eight point contact ball designs to specialised solutions such as crossed cylindrical roller bearings, triple row roller bearings and wire race bearings.

Setting SKF apart from other providers, is the company’s ability to provide slewing rings with integrated advanced monitoring, lubrication and sealing systems, delivering fully tailored solutions that ensure higher reliability and longer service life, ultimately optimising rotating equipment performance and reliability and lowering total ownership costs for customers.

Replacing industrial bearings can be both costly and energy intensive, whereas bearing remanufacturing provides a more economical and environmentally sustainable alternative. SKF enhances this value proposition by extending its added value services for slewing bearings to include remanufacturing, delivering savings, efficiency and sustainability in one solution. In fact, a slewing bearing with only 30% left of its calculated service life can be well worth remanufacturing. SKF’s standardised remanufacturing processes can significantly extend the service life of critical equipment by rebuilding bearings to the exact specifications of the original manufactured product. This is achieved through a carefully controlled combination of reused, repaired and new parts, ensuring performance, reliability and sustainability while maximising value from every bearing.

A slewing ring, also known as a slewing bearing, is a large diameter, specialised rolling element bearing engineered to accommodate axial and radial loads simultaneously, while also managing significant tilting moments. Comprising an inner and outer ring, one of which typically incorporates a gear, these bearings serve as the mechanical joint connecting two structural components of a machine, enabling them to rotate relative to one another. Their high load carrying capacity and exceptional stiffness ensures rigid bearing performance, while maintaining low friction and delivering a long service life. In addition, slewing bearings can integrate supplementary systems such as driving mechanisms, control devices, lubrication systems, monitoring technologies and sealing cassettes, creating a compact, multifunctional solution that elevates both performance and durability. Depending on their design, slewing bearings combine a range of advanced features that make them indispensable in demanding applications.

Slewing rings fulfil a trio of essential functions: Distributing loads by acting as the primary structural link, safely transferring massive weights such as lifted loads or heavy machine cabs from one part of a machine to another; enabling controlled rotation that allows equipment to swivel, tilt or rotate, often through a full 360°, even under extreme stress; and providing integrated power transmission, with many designs incorporating internal or external gear teeth that mesh with a drive motor to combine support and rotation in a single compact solution.

Selecting the right slewing bearing can be complex, particularly when stringent technical, reliability or economic requirements must be met. This is where SKF’s application engineering services come to the fore, assisting customers by providing advanced calculations and simulations, and employing state of the art analysis methods to optimise and validate the most suitable design tailored to individual application requirements.

SKF’s high performance slewing bearings are engineered for a wide range of demanding applications. In the tough, heavy duty conditions of the mining industry, materials handling equipment such as excavators, bucket wheel excavators and stackers/reclaimers face immense challenges where reliability and uptime are critical. Slewing bearing solutions play a vital role in ensuring the performance, durability and efficiency of these machines, making them indispensable across multiple sectors. Their versatility extends across multiple sectors, with slewing bearings widely applied in wind turbines, tunnel boring machines, forestry and rail vehicles, dockside, deck and mobile cranes, water treatment equipment, bottle filling systems and surveillance systems such as radars and cameras. In addition to supporting equipment in the medical field, they extend their scope to the marine industry, where they are used in offshore buoys, tidal turbines and marine pods.

Through the ability to support the full value chain at every stage, paired with a multidisciplinary approach that integrates engineering expertise, advanced technologies and a comprehensive portfolio of expert services, SKF demonstrates multidisciplinary excellence through seamless coordination between the factory, sales, services, distribution and logistics teams. This strategic approach ensures reliable product delivery and sustained customer confidence. The local SKF team further extends slewing ring installation expertise through a collaborative effort with European colleagues, a process that doubles as a valuable knowledge transfer opportunity. This approach also upskills local technicians in the precise art of slewing bearing installation, reinforcing SKF’s long term commitment to performance, partnership and technical leadership. Ultimately, this holistic approach drives asset optimisation and underpins plant and operational sustainability, enabling customers to achieve lasting value and resilience within the most demanding industrial environments.

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Employing roughly 500 to 2000 people, many of these operations are now under growing pressure to meet evolving Section 10 requirements under the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), particularly around practical competency, induction quality, and fatal-risk preparedness.

To help bridge this gap, KBC Health and Safety has launched a scalable, practical training solution specifically designed for smaller mining operations. Delivered through an affordable fixed monthly retainer model, the solution combines site-specific induction training, practical hazard exposure, fatal-risk awareness, and continuous micro-learning to strengthen workforce competence while supporting compliance with the MHSA.

According to Jared Kangisser, CEO of KBC Health and Safety, many smaller operations are under increasing pressure to meet evolving safety requirements while managing capacity constraints, contractor onboarding, and operational productivity demands.

“South Africa’s Mine Health and Safety Act is globally progressive, but implementing the required levels of training and competency consistently can be challenging for smaller mining operations,” says Kangisser.

“In many operations, induction programmes can become heavily compliance-focused, which means there is a risk that practical exposure to real onsite hazards does not receive enough emphasis.”

Kangisser says the changing Section 10 environment is placing greater emphasis on demonstrable competency and practical safety outcomes, making it increasingly important for mines to build on existing compliance training with practical, site-specific learning.

The KBC model replaces standardised training interventions with practical, site-aligned modules that integrate mine-specific standard operating procedures, fatal risks, and operational exposures directly into the learning process. The training is structured around adult-learning principles designed to improve long-term knowledge retention and practical competency.

One of the key innovations is KBC’s compact hazard room concept. Unlike traditional hazard parks, which require large physical spaces and significant capital investment, the compact hazard rooms provide immersive practical learning within a smaller, more cost-effective format.

“A traditional hazard park is simply not financially viable for many smaller mines,” Kangisser explains. “Our compact hazard rooms create meaningful practical exposure to critical risks in a way that is affordable, scalable, and aligned to the operational realities of smaller sites.”

The solution also incorporates short-form micro-learning interventions to continuously reinforce fatal-risk behaviours and improve safety awareness over time.

KBC says the model is designed to support, not replace, internal training and HR teams. By managing induction volumes, training administration, and ongoing content updates, the solution frees internal trainers to spend more time in the field while enabling HR and learning teams to focus on broader workforce development and safety strategy.

The flexible structure allows services to scale according to workforce volumes, contractor requirements, and operational changes across both leased and independently operated mines.

“With the right systems, training quality, and practical reinforcement in place, smaller operations can achieve strong, consistent safety capability that is aligned with industry best practice and the expectations of the broader mining sector,” says Kangisser.

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For the year ended 30 June, the Opuwo project recorded an operating loss of about N$421,738 and was carried at a value of about N$34 million in Celsius’s consolidated financial statements. The divestment will allow Celsius to sharpen its focus on its Philippine portfolio of copper/gold projects and provide a material source of near-term funding. As a demonstration of its commitment to the transaction and the Opuwo project, and in support of the exclusive prospecting licence and environmental clearance certificate renewal applications, Chinalco Mining has agreed to provide a non-refundable exploration commitment of at least $750,000 on exploration and $250,000 on metallurgical testwork while conditions precedent are being satisfied.

Key conditions include shareholder approval from Celsius, approval by the Namibian Competition Commission and Bank of Namibia in relation to exchange controls, and clearance from the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Commerce and Bureau of Foreign Exchange Commission. The agreement also carries a six-month cut-off date from execution of the share sale agreement, by 29 December. Should the agreement be terminated, Chinalco Mining will be restricted for three years from applying for, or acquiring, any title, interest or licence within the Opuwo project area within 2km of the project’s licence boundary.

Celsius MD Bardin Davis said, “Celsius is delighted to have concluded an agreement with an entity of Chinalco (Xiong’an) Mining’s international standing and reputation. We believe that Chinalco (Xiong’an) Mining is well positioned to progress the Opuwo project, which will deliver substantial benefits to Namibia and the local community.” A Chinalco Mining senior representative also highlighted the strategic importance of the asset and expressed support for future development in Namibia, saying, “Opuwo is a significant greenfield cobalt/copper asset located in Namibia, demonstrating substantial exploration and development potential. We highly commend the efforts of Celsius Resources in advancing the Opuwo project and look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to responsibly progress the project from exploration through to development.”

The post Chinalco Buys Celsius’s Namibian Cobalt Asset for $15m appeared first on Namibian Mining News.

The National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR) welcomed an update this week from Rhino Resources Namibia, operator of Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 85, confirming that the Capricornus-1A well reached a total depth of 4,818 metres and encountered oil-bearing rock linked to the earlier Capricornus-1X discovery. The drilling campaign was completed safely and without incident.

PEL 85 is operated by Rhino Resources, which holds a 42.5% stake, alongside Azule Energy (42.5%), NAMCOR (10%) and Korres Investments (5%). NAMCOR Acting Managing Director Mtundeni Ndafyaalako said “The Capricornus-1A well has provided important information that improves our understanding of the area and supports the next phase of appraisal work.” He added that every well drilled in the Orange Basin contributes to a better understanding of Namibia’s offshore resources and strengthens confidence in the basin’s potential.

The latest results build on the earlier Capricornus-1X discovery, which encountered a high-quality light oil-bearing reservoir and recorded strong flow-test results, making it one of the most promising discoveries in Rhino’s acreage to date. Rhino Resources Chief Executive Officer Travis Smithard described Capricornus-1A as a well which “represents a critical data point in defining the development potential of the Capricornus reservoir system.”

According to Rhino, data gathered from the appraisal well will help determine the size of the accumulation, reservoir quality and fluid characteristics, while informing future development plans across the broader licence area. Energy analysts say the importance of appraisal wells often extends beyond simply finding oil: while discovery wells confirm the presence of hydrocarbons, appraisal wells help companies determine whether a discovery can be commercially developed.

Mining and Energy Namibia noted that the Capricornus appraisal campaign was launched specifically to test the extension of the oil accumulation and improve understanding of the reservoir, reporting that the earlier Capricornus-1X discovery strengthened industry confidence in the commercial potential of PEL 85. The Orange Basin has emerged as one of the world’s most closely watched exploration regions, following a series of sizeable offshore discoveries by international energy companies in recent years, discoveries that have attracted significant investment and raised expectations that Namibia could become a major oil producer within the next decade. Reuters has previously reported that Rhino Resources is aiming to fast-track development of its discoveries and is targeting a final investment decision in the coming years, with the ambition of achieving first oil production by around 2030.

The significance of the Capricornus-1A results lies not only in confirming oil-bearing formations but in the growing body of technical data that could support future investment decisions. That data will now be integrated with information from previous wells drilled in PEL 85, as the joint venture evaluates next steps for appraisal and exploration. The successful Capricornus-1A appraisal well does not yet guarantee commercial oil production, but it provides crucial evidence that Namibia’s offshore discoveries continue to show promise, strengthening confidence in the Orange Basin, supporting further exploration investment and moving the country closer to determining whether these discoveries can become future oil-producing projects capable of contributing to economic growth and job creation.

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In safety-sensitive industries such as mining, manufacturing and logistics, alcohol testing is not a tick-box exercise. It is a frontline safety control. Yet one of the most critical factors in alcohol testing accuracy is also one of the most misunderstood: breathalyser calibration. Many South African employers believe that having a calibration certificate on file is enough to demonstrate compliance. In reality, a certificate alone means very little if the calibration behind it was done incorrectly, too infrequently or by an unqualified provider. Getting this wrong can compromise workplace safety, weaken CCMA cases and damage organisational credibility.

Calibration is best understood using a simple analogy. A weighing scale placed under a certified 10 kg weight should display a result within a narrow tolerance range. If the scale reads 5 kg, the measurement is clearly unreliable. Even a reading of 9.5 kg falls outside acceptable accuracy limits. Breathalyser calibration follows the same principle. Instead of a physical weight, a certified alcohol reference gas is used.

This gas is manufactured to a known alcohol value, for example 0.35 mg/l. During calibration, the gas is passed through the instrument, and the reading is compared to the known value. If the reading matches, the instrument is considered accurate. If not, internal adjustments must be made, followed by a verification check to confirm alignment.

A proper calibration process includes a pre-calibration assessment, the calibration itself and a post-calibration confirmation. Each step plays a critical role in ensuring measurement integrity.

One of the most common misconceptions is that any calibration certificate automatically confirms an instrument’s reliability. This is not always the case. A meaningful calibration certificate should clearly reflect the pre-calibration reading, which indicates how far the instrument had drifted before adjustment. If a device registers 0.22 mg/l against a 0.35 mg/l reference gas, a significant loss of sensitivity has already occurred. A responsible provider would recognise that such a drift indicates an internal fault requiring repair, whereas an irresponsible provider might merely recalibrate the device without addressing the underlying problem. In this instance, the calibration certificate could harm the employer by serving as clear evidence that the instrument is inaccurate.  Issuing a long-term calibration certificate is irresponsible, regardless of how professional the certificate appears.

Some service providers issue 12-month calibration certificates for commercial appeal rather than technical justification. While this approach may seem cost-effective, it can leave organisations exposed. In operational environments with frequent testing, many analytical breathalysers do not maintain acceptable accuracy over a full year. Six-month calibration cycles are far more defensible and better aligned with real-world performance data.

Calibration drift undermines both safety and compliance. From a safety perspective, an under-reading instrument may allow an impaired employee to enter a high-risk work environment. In sectors involving heavy machinery, vehicles or hazardous processes, the consequences can be severe.

From a labour law standpoint, disciplinary action based on inaccurate readings becomes difficult to defend. In legal proceedings, a calibration certificate can only be relied on once its validity has been proven. The onus rests with the employer to demonstrate that the instrument was accurately calibrated, fit for purpose and traceable to a recognised standard at the time of testing. Certificates that reveal excessive drift or questionable calibration practices weaken the credibility of test results.

Where a calibration certificate is issued by a SANAS-accredited laboratory, that validity is assured, significantly reducing evidentiary risk in CCMA and labour court matters.

What employers should look for on a calibration certificate A reliable calibration certificate contains more than a date and a signature. It should demonstrate:

Evidence that the laboratory is properly accredited and technically competent

Clearly documented pre-calibration and post-calibration values

The reference gas value used and its traceability

Environmental conditions such as temperature and barometric pressure at the time of calibration

A calibration validity period that reflects actual instrument performance, not marketing claims understanding these elements is essential for determining whether an instrument is genuinely fit for purpose.

There is no one-size-fits-all calibration interval, and blanket claims by suppliers that breathalysers only need annual calibration should be treated with caution.

Breathalysers used to produce exact alcohol readings for disciplinary action require a higher level of accuracy. These analytical instruments should generally be calibrated every six months to ensure their results remain reliable and legally defensible.

Devices used purely for screening and access control work differently. These instruments provide a simple pass or fail result rather than an exact alcohol concentration. In some cases, annual calibration may be acceptable, provided that any positive screening result is followed by a confirmatory test using a properly calibrated analytical breathalyser.

Usage levels also matter. Instruments used frequently throughout the day are more likely to drift out of tolerance and may require shorter calibration cycles. Responsible service providers monitor how instruments perform over time and adjust calibration intervals to ensure ongoing accuracy.

Calibrating a breathalyser is easy. Proving that it was calibrated correctly is not. Reputable laboratories operate under SANAS-accredited systems, which means their calibration processes, equipment and reference materials are independently assessed and verified. Every calibration is performed under controlled conditions and fully documented.

This ensures that each instrument is calibrated to a recognised national standard and that the results can be relied on if ever challenged. For employers, this removes uncertainty. Alcohol test results issued from SANAS-accredited calibration processes are far more likely to withstand regulatory scrutiny, internal audits and labour disputes.

In a market where low-quality devices and unreliable calibration services are increasingly common, using a properly accredited provider is a practical risk-management decision. When testing for alcohol in the workplace, accuracy is not optional. Proper calibration protects employee rights and gives employers confidence when safety or disciplinary decisions must be defended.

*Rhys Evans is the Managing Director at ALCO-Safe

The post Could a valid breathalyser calibration certificate cost your company its CCMA case? appeared first on Namibian Mining News.

The Capricornus-1A appraisal well, located in the Orange Basin, successfully intersected a 46-meter (151-foot) gross reservoir interval, proving that the oil-bearing sandstone is hydraulically connected to the original discovery well, Capricornus-1X. The finding confirms pressure communication and reservoir continuity across the accumulation, a critical step toward proving the commercial viability of the field.

The well was drilled in Block 2914 under Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 85 using the Saipem 12000 drillship. Operations began on May 2 in water depths of roughly 1,285 meters and safely reached a total depth of 4,818 meters on June 11.

Namibia’s Orange Basin has fast become a magnet for international oil majors following a string of massive discoveries by TotalEnergies SE and Shell Plc in recent years. Rhino serves as the operator of PEL 85 with a 42.5% working interest, matched by Azule Energy a joint venture between Eni SpA and BP Plc which also holds 42.5%. Namibia’s state-owned oil firm NAMCOR holds 10%, while Korres Investments retains 5%.

The joint venture recovered representative core samples alongside a comprehensive suite of wireline logs and formation evaluation data. The data will be integrated into regional models to refine the partners’ understanding of the broader exploration potential across the block.

“The Capricornus-1A well has delivered important information that advances our understanding of the morphology of the Capricornus reservoir system,” Travis Smithard, Chief Executive Officer of Rhino Resources, said in a statement. “Confirmation of pressure communication with Capricornus-1X provides evidence of reservoir continuity across the accumulation and increases our drilling confidence.”

The appraisal also yielded unexpected structural data, according to the company. “The well has also provided critical information on deeper geological intervals that were not encountered at Capricornus-1X, improving our understanding of how subsurface structures are defining the play fairways across the licence area,” Smithard said.

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