Production Surge at Rio Tinto's Last Diamond Mine
July 17, 25
(IDEX Online) - Rio Tinto has reported a surge in production at Diavik, in Canada's Northwest Territories, its only remaining diamond mine.
Rough output rose by 76 per cent during Q2 2025 (three months to 30 June) to 1.24m carats, according to a production report published yesterday (16 July).
In Q1 2025 production rose by 27 per cent to 942,000 carats. And in Q4 2024, it was up 18 per cent to 775,000 carats.
The increases signal a recovery after output for FY 2024 dropped 17 per cent to 2.8m carats. It followed a transition to underground operations at one of the mine's pipes (A21) and a temporary halt on operations after four workers and two crew died last January shortly after taking off for the mine.
Rio Tinto said H1 2025 production was 2.18m carats, up 34 per cent on 1.44m carats in the same period last year.
The company acquired full ownership of the mine, 200km south of the Arctic Circle, in November 2021 after it bought out a 40 per cent stake from Dominion Diamond Mines. It is expected to end commercial production early next year.
Diavik is Rio Tinto's last diamond mine after the closure of the Argyle diamond mine, in Western Australia, in November 2020 after 37 years of production.
Pic courtesy Rio Tinto.