De Beers Commissions Gahcho Kué Mine

(IDEX Online News) – De Beers announced that it has commissioned the Gahcho Kué process plant, with ore now being fed to the process plant to signal the formal ramp-up of diamond production. The project’s full commercial operation is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2017.

The first ore was exposed at the mine on March 23, and the commissioning phase introduced ore into the processing facility from the pit on June 20, with the first commissioning carats being recovered on June 30.

“Gahcho Kué will not only strengthen De Beers in Canada, but ensure Canada remains the third leading diamond producer, by value, in the world,” said De Beers Canada chief executive Kim Truter. “We are excited to see this project move into the production phase and must congratulate our Gahcho Kué us deliver this world-class mine.”

Gahcho Kué, about 280km north east of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada, is the largest new diamond mine under construction anywhere in the world. The mine is 51-percent owned by De Beers and 49-percent owned by its Mountain Province Diamonds partner.