DiamondCorp Recovers 19.83-Carat Diamond from Lace Mine

(IDEX Online News) – Southern African diamond development and exploration company DiamondCorp plc has announced the recovery of a 19.83-carat clear white gem diamond from the Lace mine in the Free State province of South Africa. The diamond, is the largest recovered so far from underground development.

In a production update, the company said a total of 3,321 meters of underground core drilling in 21 holes has delineated 2.6 million tons of K4 (high grade) kimberlite, an increase of more than 2 million tons over the original Lace geological model.

The mine’s underground conveyor system is 91 percent fabricated and on site, 51 percent installed and on schedule for commissioning ahead of the mining ramp-up, which is due to take place in the second half of this year.

The conveyor belt will handle both kimberlite and development waste and has the capacity to bring 400 tons per hour to surface (an average of 8,000 tons per day) compared with a maximum of 975 tons per day which can currently be hauled by the company's five dump trucks.