Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Officially Begins Commercial Production
March 02, 17
(IDEX Online) – The Gahcho Kue diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, owned by De Beers Canada and Mountain Province Diamonds, began commercial today (March 2), the companies said.
First diamond production at the Arctic mine, the world's largest and highest grade new diamond mine, began last year and has been gradually increasing. Annual average production is forecast to be 4.5 million carats over the expected 13-year life of the mine, around 54 million carats in total. De Beers owns 51 percent of the project, with the rest held by Mountain Province.
DE Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver said the event was a "significant landmark for De Beers in Canada".
Meanwhile, Mountain Province Diamonds President and CEO Patrick Evans said the deposit "secures Canada's position as one of the world's leading diamond producers".