JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed BlueRock Diamonds has sold a parcel of 400.06 ct of diamonds, at an average price of $330/ct, in an August tender.
The company, which operates the Kareevlei diamond mine, near Kimberley, on Thursday noted that the diamonds produced and sold at the tender had resulted in a grade of 2.07 carats per hundred tons (cpht), compared with the average grade of 1.7 cpht achieved, on average, during this year.
“Prices per carat continue to exceed expectations and recovery grades are beginning to improve. We are now well on our way to achieving profitable mining with the expected further improvement to grades as we begin processing the sub 20 m level kimberlite in September,” commented CEO Adam Waugh.
Production at Kareevlei increased to 20 200 t in July, a 40% increase on June’s output. The total tonnage for August is expected to be even higher.