RAPAPORT… BlueRock Diamonds has reached record production at its Kareevlei mine in South Africa, after resuming operations last month.
Output since May 11, when the deposit reopened following a Covid-19 lockdown, totaled 41,500 tonnes of ore, averaging 2,000 tonnes a day, the company said Wednesday.
The new daily average is 65% higher than the previous record, which it achieved in the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase was due to modifications to the ore-processing equipment, the company added.
The miner is in the process of combining its KV1 and KV2 sites, which it expects to complete in the third quarter. However, while the project is ongoing, the company will retrieve a higher percentage of lower-grade ore, closer to the surface, it noted. It plans to produce higher-grade ore toward the end of June.
BlueRock currently has approximately 2,400 carats of rough in inventory.
Image: Rough diamonds from the Kareevlei mine. (BlueRock Diamonds)
BlueRock Hits Record Output After Reopening
The Bottom Line
- Since reopening on May 11, BlueRock processed 41,500 tonnes of ore, averaging 2,000 tonnes daily, a 65% increase over its previous record.
- The production boost results from upgrades to ore-processing equipment and ongoing integration of KV1 and KV2 mining sites.
- While combining sites, the company is extracting more lower-grade ore near the surface, with plans to shift to higher-grade ore by late June.
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