De Beers Canada has received approval to flood the mine tunnels at the Snap Lake diamond mine located in Canada’s Northwest Territories, according to a report on IDEX Online, citing Reuters.
The Snap Lake diamond mine, which produced some 1.2 million carats in 2015 and was supposed to be in operation until 2028, was closed down due to a worsening global diamond market, notes IDEX Online.
According to IDEX Online, De Beers Canada can cut the cost of pumping out water and can reduce environmental risk by flooding the tunnels.
“The decision is helpful because it really helps us preserve a pretty significant resource in the ground,” says De Beers Canada spokesman Tom Ormsby.
