De Beers Canada's Snap Lake Mine seen from the air

DE BEERS MOVES TO MAKE SNAP LAKE SHUTDOWN PERMANENT

De Beers Canada will file a closure and reclamation plan for its Snap Lake diamond mine, which means it will end the mine’s care and maintenance program operating for the past two years. The final closure will occur in 2019, IDEX Online reports.

 

“Until that plan is submitted, it is premature to discuss what final closure will look like or what the associated costs will be”, De Beers spokesperson Terry Kruger told CBC.ca. According to the same repot, there is a 12-person team employed to do care and maintenance at the mine.

 

The Snap Lake Mine is De Beers’ first mine outside of Africa, purchased by the company in 2000. Located 220 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife, Snap Lake is Canada’s first completely underground diamond mine. It was opened in 2008 and forecast to produce diamonds for 15 years, producing 1.2 million carats of diamonds in 2014. In December 2015, De Beers announced it will close it “due to a decline in diamond prices along with water problems at the mine”.

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