BHP Billiton’s Diamond Production Drops 10% in H1
January 20, 11
(IDEX Online News) – Multi-commodity miner BHP Billiton reported a decline in diamond production in the second quarter as well as for the first half of the year. The company pinned the production decline in the December quarter on a decrease in ore processed and lower average grade. The company produced 676,000 carats of rough in the second quarter, an 11 percent year-over-year decline. In the first half of 2010, BHP Billiton diamonds mined 1,379,000, a 10 percent decline, the company said in a production report published Thursday. BHP Billiton holds an 80 percent stake in the Ekati diamond mine in Canada and the figures reflect their share of production.
