ALROSA, in line with its investment programme, has launched stripping operations at the Mayskaya pipe. The kimberlite ore to be processed at the processing plant of the Nyurba Division. First diamonds from this deposit are expected in 2025, the company said on its website.
The Mayskaya pipe is located in the Nakyn ore field, close to ALROSA’s existing Botuobinsky and Nyurbinsky open pits and processing plant #16. Once the production has achieved its design capacity of 300,000 tonnes of ore per annum, the deposit will bring approximately 1 million carats a year.
“Our exploration team discovered this relatively small pipe in the 2000s. In Yakutia, as is the case across the whole world, there are hardly any more primary diamond deposits coming to the Earth’s surface. It will take several years to complete the development of the deposit. However, the pipe is located close to the processing plant and other assets, which simplifies its development and reduces costs. This is one of the projects that will help ALROSA to achieve its mid-term production outlook of 35-36 million carats by 2025-2026,” said Alexey Kovalenko, Head of of the Mirny-Nyurba Division.
2021 ALROSA production outlook is ca. 32.5 million carats.
The Mayskaya pipe was discovered in 2006. It is located 3 km southwest of the Botuobinskaya pipe in the Nyurbinsky district of Yakutia, which is approximately 300 km from the town of Mirny. Detailed geological exploration was completed in 2015. The deposit’s total JORC resources are estimated at 12.7 million carats, capital expenditures are planned at around $75 million at the current exchange rate (RUB 5.6 billion) and included in the company’s official capex outlook.
Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished
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