Gahcho Kue Mine Faces Two-Year Production Delay

(IDEX Online) – The Gahcho Kue mine, jointly operated by De Beers Canada and Mountain Province Diamonds, may face a two-year delay in production to 2017, De Beers CEO Philippe Mellier told Reuters.

The mine, located in the North West Territories, had been expected to start producing around December 2015, but regulatory restrictions limited shipments to Gahcho Kue this winter, delaying construction.

De Beers hopes to receive the permits it needs to truck in more equipment and material next winter after missing this year’s short shipping season.

"We hope things are going to move. We are confident they will move in the right direction," Mellier said.

He added that he expects output to begin at the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017.