Rio Tinto has opened a new diamond pipe at its Diavik mine in Canada on August 20, 2018. The pipe was opened after a four-year construction period and an investment of approximately $350 million, shared by Rio Tinto (60%) and its joint venture partner Dominion Diamond Corporation (40%).
The new pipe, known as A21, “will provide an important source of incremental supply over the next four years to sustain production levels at the Rio Tinto operated mine”. The A21 pipe is located next to Diavik’s existing mining operations at Lac de Gras, and it is expected to be at full production during the fourth quarter of 2018.
Rio Tinto Copper & Diamonds CEO Arnaud Soirat said: “This investment to sustain production levels at Diavik reflects the strong outlook we see for the diamond industry. It is a remarkable achievement to deliver this project safely and ahead of time in such a challenging environment, positioning Diavik to continue meeting the demand for its outstanding diamonds”.
