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Kimberley Diamonds to Restart Mining at E9 West Pit
Feb 10, 2014 5:03 AM
By Deena Taylor
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RAPAPORT... Kimberley Diamonds will recommence mining at the E9 west pit of the Ellendale mine in Western Australia as soon as the wet season ends in order to access higher-grade ore, the company reported. Mining at E9 was suspended in June 2013 year as a result of slippage of the pit wall due to heavy rain. The company completed the construction of a buttress to allow safe access to the pit in November 2013.
Production at E9 is currently continuing from the lower-grade surface ore stockpiles which have a resource grade of 2.48 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht). The E9 west pit has a resource grade of 3.49 cpht.
Additionally, the company reported that it received consent from the Botswana Competition Authority to acquire Mantle Diamonds. Mantle's flagship project is the Lerala diamond mine in Botswana, which has been on care and maintenance since August 2012. Lerala has an expected mine life of seven years. Kimberley Diamonds expects to bring the mine back into production during the course of 2014.
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Tags:
Deena Taylor, diamonds, E9 West Pit, Ellendale, Kimberley Diamonds, Lerala, mantle diamonds
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