TSX-listed Mountain Province has netted $22.2-million from the sale of 334 751 ct in its sixth diamond sale of 2018, the company reported on Wednesday.
The sale realised an average price of $66/ct, which is lower than the previous sale’s realised price of $85/ct, but in line with expectations. Mountain Province, which owns the Gahcho Kue mine in a joint venture with De Beers, explained that the decline was driven by a much smaller offering of fancy diamonds and special stones, while the price also softened for smaller diamonds.
VP for diamond marketing Reid Mackie stated that the overall impact of the decline in average prices for run-of-mine goods was not material compared with those achieved in the previous sales and that prices for better quality fancies and specials remained firm.
Mountain Province also announced that it had successfully bid for the fancies and specials from the most recent shipment of diamonds received from the mine. The parcel includes four exceptional gem stones with carat weights of 91, 83, 58, and 45.
The miner further reported that production for July set new records from a tonnes processed and carats recovered perspective with 299 150 t processed, yielding 709 106 ct on a 100% basis, at an approximate grade of 2.37 c/t. The higher grade was attributed to more tonnage from higher grade areas.
Mountain Province is a 49% participant in the Gahcho Kué mine, located in Canada's Northwest Territories. Gahcho Kué is the world's largest new diamond mine, consisting of a cluster of four diamondiferous kimberlites, three of which are being developed and mined under the initial 12-year mine plan. The mine is immediately south of the Company's wholly owned Kennady North lands where the Kelvin and Faraday kimberlites are being advanced to prefeasibility stage.