PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed miner Lucapa Diamond Company has uncovered a 68.1 ct gem-quality diamond from trial mining operations at a new area within its Lulo operation, in Angola.
The gem was among eight special diamonds recovered during the trial mining operation, which is about 10 km upstream from the alluvial Mining Block 8 and 6, from which Lucapa has been producing diamonds.
Lucapa reported on Tuesday that the recovery of the large special diamonds from the trial mining site was significant, considering the largest individual diamond recovered from the initial exploration bulk sampling phase conducted in the area weighed just 6.9 ct.
The E46 alluvial terraces were the fourth area along a 20 km stretch of the Cacuilo river terraces to have produced special gem-quality diamonds. The Lulo mining licence covers some 51 km of the Cacuilo river, and Lucapa and its partners are yet to conduct any alluvial exploration or mining activities upstream of E46.