RAPAPORT… Diamond production at the RZM Murowa mine in Zimbabwe fell 43% year on year in the third quarter as operations focused on lower-grade ore.
RioZim, which owns the deposit, processed material from the K1 pit, as the higher-grade K2 section had reached the end of its life span, the Zimbabwean mining group said in a recent statement.
The company did not disclose total output. Its production for the first half of the year was 240,000 carats.
A program to increase Murowa’s processing capacity, known as the Crown Jewel Project, is progressing “at a slower pace than desired due to lack of adequate foreign currency,” RioZim added.
RioZim also operates gold mines across Zimbabwe, with production at the sites slipping 7% year on year for the quarter amid power shortages and volatile market conditions. The company’s base-metal deposit is under care and maintenance.
Image: The Murowa mine in Zimbabwe. (RioZim)
Output Slumps at Zimbabwe’s Murowa Mine
The Bottom Line
- Murowa mine’s diamond production fell 43% year on year in Q3 due to mining lower-grade ore from the K1 pit after the higher-grade K2 section was depleted.
- RioZim did not disclose total Q3 output; first-half production totaled 240,000 carats.
- The Crown Jewel Project to increase processing capacity is delayed by foreign currency shortages, while gold production also declined 7% amid power and market challenges.
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