Dominion set to Re-open its Ekati Mine
November 15, 20
(IDEX Online) - Dominion, the troubled Canadian miner, is to recall about 60 furloughed employees in the hope that that its Ekati mine will soon resume operations.
The deposit has been closed since March and Dominion, the world's third largest producer of rough diamonds by value, subsequently filed for insolvency protection.
It expects to reach agreement soon to restructure its debt and secure funding to re-open the mine next month.
The miner is recalling a small team now so that employees will be able to comply with COVID-19 isolation protocols and be ready for work.
Dominion's insolvency protection runs out on 15 December. As well as owning the Ekati mine it also jointly owns the nearby Diavik mine with Rio Tinto.
Dominion was on the brink of agreeing a $146m rescue deal for Ekati (pictured) with subsidiaries of The Washington Companies last month, but it fell through at the last minute.
Ekati closed in March, with the owners citing concerns over COVID-19 and warning its 1,800 employees that it could be months before they returned to work.