TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – South Africa-focused Diamcor Mining on Tuesday reported that it had completed a planned plant expansion of the in-field dry-screening plant at the company's Krone-Endora at Venetia project, in the country’s Limpopo province.

Diamcor said the upgrades included installing a second Dabmar Bivitec screening unit as well as designing, building and installing significant additional conveyor and material-handling structures to create a closed-loop automated system to enhance processing fine materials under 1.2 mm in size.

The Kelowna, British Columbia-based firm also installed a large material storage and transfer bin and associated conveyor structures so that screened material could be automatically loaded for transport to the company's treatment plant.

Diamcor believed this expansion would enhance the efficient screening of fine material, reduce operating costs and effectively support increased processing capacities in the long term.

The project is located a mere stone's throw away from the third-largest diamond mine in the world, De Beers’ flagship Venetia mine and its deposits have been identified as occurring as a result of the direct shift and erosion of an estimated one vertical kilometre of material from the higher adjacent grounds of the Venetia kimberlite pipes.

Diamcor reported that while much of the focus during the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, centred on completing the expansion, the company did participate in one diamond tender, selling 2 507.23 ct of rough diamonds generating gross revenues of $487 018.12, or on average $194.25/ct.

The company said it was “pleased” with these tender results, given that the majority of materials processed during the commissioning and testing exercises performed later in the fiscal quarter were from lower-grade gravels.

As at the end of the quarter, the company had about 1 000 ct of rough diamonds on hand, which would be tendered for sale in the company's second fiscal quarter ending September 30.