Higher Grades Sustain Gahcho Kué Production

RAPAPORT… Production at the Gahcho Kué mine was flat in the third
quarter as higher grades offset the impact of a planned closure.



Ore from the asset yielded 2.4 carats of rough diamonds per
tonne — an 8% increase versus a year ago. Total output was therefore stable at
1.8 million carats, even as the amount of material treated fell 8% to 759,000
tonnes.


“A planned maintenance shutdown in the plant during the
quarter resulted in less ore tonnes passing through the plant in comparison to
what has been achieved in previous quarters of 2018,” Mountain Province, which
owns just under half of the asset, said in a statement last week. “However,
daily throughput in the plant continues to be consistent with our targets for
the year.”


Mountain Province’s share of production was 891,000 carats
from its 49% stake in the Gahcho Kué project. De Beers holds the remaining 51%.


Mountain Province expects total full-year production at Gahcho
Kué to reach the upper end of the miner’s previous estimate of 6.3 million to
6.6 million carats.


Image: Gahcho Kué mine. (Mountain Province)