JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – TSX-V-listed Diamcor Mining sold 2 153 ct of rough diamonds for gross proceeds of $338 380, resulting in an average price of $157.16/ct in a third and final tender and sale for the quarter completed in June.

This brings the total rough diamonds tendered and sold from the initial processing of material during the period to 8.318-million carats, generating gross proceeds of $1.851-million and resulting in an average price of $222.52/ct.  

The rough diamonds recovered, tendered and sold during the period were from the processing of material completed as part of the testing, commissioning and calibration work under way at the company’s newly expanded Krone-Endora facility at the Venetia project, in South Africa

Rough diamonds delivered, tendered and sold in the current period were the result of rough diamonds recovered prior to May 25.

OPERATIONAL UPDATE
The testing, commissioning and calibration of the newly expanded facilities at Venetia continue to progress as planned during the quarter, and overall increases in processing volumes and reliability are expected moving forward. 

The crushing and treatment of material up to 45 mm, and the processing of larger material through a modified and refined ultra-course large diamond recovery circuit is also now operational and expected to increase throughput capacity.

The project’s expanded sorting facilities continue to operate as planned with no major issues to report in the area. 

Diamcor previously reported that efforts were under way to reduce the total quantity of fines in material being delivered to the main treatment plant through the addition of a high-frequency screening unit at the project’s in-field dry screening plant.

This equipment is aimed at not only enhancing the quality and pre-concentration of the material being delivered to the main treatment plant, but is also expected to provide additional savings in water consumption and increased processing capacities.

All operational items associated with the upgrade are completed and incorporated into the processing.