Diavik's Q2 Production Down 28%
July 18, 24
(IDEX Online) - Rio Tinto says production at its Diavik mine in Canada fell by 28 per cent during Q2, after the plane crash in January that killed six people and the end of open pit mining as it transitions to underground operations.
Output in the three months to 30 June was 702,000 carats, down from 970,000 carats in Q2 2023.
Open pit mining at the A21 kimberlite pipe, which started in 2018, was halted last year to allow for a $40m investment in underground mining at the same site.
It marked the end of open pit mining at Diavik, in Northwest Territories. The transition to underground mining should extend its operational life until early 2026.
Diavik's Q2 impact was also impacted by the tragic loss of life after a chartered Jetstream twin turboprop airliner taking workers to the mine crashed shortly after take-off from Fort Smith Airport.
In its second quarter production results Rio Tinto said H1 production was 1.44m carats, a 25 per cent decrease compared to the 1.92m carats produced in H1 2023.