JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company on Thursday reported record diamond recoveries in July – significantly ahead of internal forecasts and market guidance – at its Lulo diamond project, in Angola.
Some 59 special diamond recoveries in excess of 10.8 ct – more than the 53 achieved during the first six months of 2016 – had been reported in July, along with record diamond production of 3 164 ct, a record diamond grade of 15 carats per hundred cubic metres, and record processing volumes of 21 114 bulk cubic metres (bcm).
The mine’s daily recovery record of 404 ct had been surpassed in the month under review, with a new record of 448 ct recovered in one day, while the average stone size increased from 1.3 ct in the six months to June, to 2 ct in July.
“The record recoveries and grades for July were the result of the company’s continued investment in new earthmoving fleet and plant upgrades – and a production focus on the high-value mining Block 8 diamond area,” said Lucapa CEO Stephen Wetherall.
Lulo mine was equipped with a new Caterpillar earthmoving fleet and a newly commissioned wet front module, which respectively increased processing volumes and the maximum feed rate of the plant to 200 t/h, noted the company, adding that the September quarter is expected to see more improvements.
Moreover, a new XRT diamond recovery technology unit, set to be installed at the end of the current quarter, will enable Lucapa to recover individual diamonds of up to 1 100 ct.
“We secured the XRT module as soon as we recovered the record 404 ct diamond in February 2016, when we also started stockpiling all oversize material,” he explained.