BlueRock Diamonds has recommenced both mining and processing operations at its Kareevlei mine in the Kimberley region of South Africa following a lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. The AIM listed diamond producer expects to be operating at capacity by the end of May 2020, but, its expansion plans remain on hold.
“Management and the Board have put a lot of effort and thought into the start-up of our Kareevlei operation and in particular the safety of our employees and the risks associated with production and the market in what is a challenging and developing situation,” said company executive chairperson Mike Houston.
BlueRock placed the Kareevlei operation on care and maintenance during the lockdown, with only a small team retained on site to ensure that the plant and machinery was kept in working order and can be brought into production at short notice.
It also reduced costs to an absolute minimum with all but essential staff furloughed.
Kareevlei had an on-surface stockpile of 30 000 t of run-of-mine and crushed material, which equates to about 15 days production.
This would be used to enable a swift return to target production levels.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
