PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Diamond miner Lucapa has recovered a 215 ct diamond from its Mothae mine, in Lesotho.
The stone is the largest type IIa D-colour white diamond, and the second of more than 200 ct to be recovered at the 1.1-million-tonne-a-year Mothae plant since commercial diamond mining operations started in 2019.
“The continued recovery of large diamonds at Mothae validates the recent investment decision to expand capacity at the mine,” said Lucapa MD Stephen Wetherall.
“Lucapa has now produced 23 diamonds of more than 100 ct, four of which are greater than 200 ct, across the two mines, and we look forward to many more such exceptional mining recoveries.”
The expansion plan for Mothae will increase the project’s capacity from 1.1-million tonnes a year to 1.6-million tonnes a year, at a capital cost of $6-million. The increased production capacity will result in diamond recoveries increasing by some 45%, from 31 000 ct/y to around 44 000 ct/y, while revenue will also increase by 45%, from $21-million a year to around $30-million a year.