Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds’ Kareevlei diamond mine, in Kimberley, in the Northern Cape, achieved “good” production during the second quarter, contributing to an 81% year-on-year increase in tonnes processed to 73 028 t for the first half of this year.
Revenue per tonne processed amounted to $7.76.
The miner noted that 34 247 t of ore was processed in the second quarter, compared with 38 781 t in the first quarter, despite an aggregate downtime of about five weeks owing to a crusher fault and inclement weather.
BlueRock sold 875.31 ct in the second quarter, compared with 1 563 ct in the first quarter, at average revenue per carat of $305.34, reinforcing the Kareevlei mine’s position as one of the top-ten highest value-per-carat diamond mines in the world.
“Thanks to our experienced team on the ground, we have had a successful quarter, continuing to produce exceptional quality diamonds from our Kareevlei project . . .,” commented CEO Adam Waugh on Friday.
Kimberlite pipe KV2 delivered an average mined grade of 2.45 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht), but grades are expected to improve as mining progresses deeper.
As such, BlueRock is targeting an average grade of between 3.5 cpht and 4.5 cpht for the full year.