Lucapa Considers Expansion at Mothae Mine
October 18, 20
(IDEX Online) - Lucapa is considering an expansion of its Mothae mine, in Lesotho, southern Africa, after a significant increase in diamond resource estimates.
The Australia-based miner says a total JORC classified indicated resource has been estimated for 9.2 million tonnes containing ~280,000 carats of diamonds at a diamond grade of 3.10 carats per one hundred tonnes and an average un-escalated modelled diamond value of $635 per carat.
Managing director Stephen Wetherall said: "The updated Mothae Resource is the result of significant work undertaken to increase the resource and classification at Mothae following almost 16 months of mining and treatment through the new commercial plant."
"The increase in tonnes and carats … strongly supports an expansion in production at Mothae that the partners are considering."
The government of Lesotho, a landlocked kingdom encircled by South Africa, holds a 30 per cent stake in Mothae (pictured), which resumed operations earlier this month after being put on care and maintenance in March because of COVID-19.