RAPAPORT... BHP Billiton reported that diamond production grew 17 percent to 889,000 carats at its Ekati diamond mine in Canada for the quarter ending March 31, 2007.
The Australia-based mining company reported that for the first nine months of fiscal year 2007, production increased 17 percent to 2.31 million carats at the mine.
"As Ekati increases the diversity of its ore sources, the mix of ore processed will change from time to time and impact the carats recovered," BHP stated in its quarterly production report. "Production was higher than the nine months and quarter ended March 2006 due to processing of higher grade ore containing lower value diamonds."
BHP owns an 80 percent stake in the Ekati mine. The company's core business includes mining aluminium, energy and metallurgical coal, copper, manganese, iron ore, uranium, nickel, silver and titanium minerals. It also has interests in oil, gas, liquefied natural gas and diamond projects.
BHP further reported April 24, 2007 that it is on schedule and budget at its Koala underground diamond mine in Canada, in which it has an 80 percent interest.
"During the quarter, underground tunneling continued and the mine ventilation facilities were completed. Procurement is well advanced and engineering is complete," BHP stated in its quarterly exploration and development report.
The company aims to start production at Koala by the end of the year and is currently processing 3,300 tonnes of ore per day at the mine.
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