Canada : Originally scheduled to expire in 2025, Daivik has been given a new deadline of the first quarter of 2026. Rio Tinto’s Daivik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories will expand into underground mining below the existing A21 open pit, the company stated in March.
The largest diamond mine in Canada, Diavik, has been operating since 2003. In 2020, it produced 6.2% of the world’s rough diamond supply, or 6.2 million carats.
Rio Tinto claims that, thanks to the revised mine plan and production schedule that includes the A154N and A154S pipes and, pending approval of the second phase of the A21 underground project, the first quarter of 2026, the mine life at Diavik can be expected to be extended.
Initial underground mining operations at Diavik’s A21 pipe are anticipated to provide an additional 1.4 million carats of raw diamonds. For both the development and production phases, the mine will be utilising already existing staff and contractors.
Phase 2 of the A21 subterranean project is scheduled to be submitted for approval by Diavik in the first part of 2024. More rough diamonds amounting to 0.80 million carats are anticipated from Phase 2.
Sinead Kaufman, Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Minerals said: “Rio Tinto’s decision to support the underground development of the A21 pipe was prefaced on compelling industry fundamentals, our proven capacity to safely develop diamond mines in extreme conditions and a track record in competing successfully in the global diamond industry. This is good news for our employees, partners, suppliers and local communities in the Northwest Territories.”
The Diavik mine, 100 percent owned and operated by Rio Tinto, is Canada’s largest diamond mine in terms of production and since mining began in 2003 Diavik has produced over 100 million carats of rough diamonds. Construction of the A21 open pit commenced in 2015 and it was finished safely and ahead of time to commence commercial production in 2018.
The Phase 1 production target for the Diavik A21 pipe is underpinned 87% by Proved Ore Reserves and 13% by Probable Ore Reserves. The Phase 2 production target for the Diavik A21 pipe is underpinned 100% by Indicated Mineral Resources. These production targets have been scheduled from current mine designs by Competent Persons in accordance with the requirements of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Minerals Resources and Ore Reserves, 2012 Edition (the JORC code).
