Dominion Posts Fall in Q2 Diavik Output, Rise For H1
July 17, 13
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Dominion owns 40 percent of the mine, with Rio Tinto owning the rest.
For the first half of the calendar year 2013, the Diavik Diamond Mine produced 3.5 million carats from 1.0 million tonnes of ore processed compared to production of 3.4 million carats from 1.1 million tonnes of ore processed in the comparable period of the prior year.
The 3-percent increase in carats recovered in the current year was primarily due to an increase in grade in each of the kimberlite pipes.
An updated mine plan and budget for calendar 2013 has been approved by Dominion and Rio Tinto plc which originally included Diavik Diamond Mine production of approximately 6 million carats, and now foresees production of approximately 7.3 million carats from the mining of approximately 1.8 million tonnes of ore and the processing of approximately 2.2 million tonnes of material from both mining and stockpiles.
The approximately 22-percent increase in carats in expected production for calendar 2013, as compared to the original plan, relates to both the processing of more stockpiled ore and an increase in underground mining velocity during the calendar year.
Mining activities will be exclusively underground with approximately 0.7 million tonnes expected to be sourced from A-154 North, approximately 0.5 million tonnes from A-154 South and approximately 0.6 million tonnes from A-418 kimberlite pipes. Included in the estimated production for calendar 2013 is approximately 0.4 million carats from RPR and 0.1 million carats from the improved recovery process for small diamonds.
During the period from April 10, 2013, when Dominion acquired an 80-percent interest in the Ekati Diamond Mine to June 30, the Ekati Diamond Mine produced 0.4 million carats from 1.0 million tonnes of ore processed. The average grade of ore processed was 0.41 carats/tonne.