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Rio Tinto’s 2015 Diamond Production up 25 Percent
The mining company ramped up operations at Argyle, which is known for producing pink and brown diamonds.
Perth, Australia--Rio Tinto’s 2015 diamond production jumped 25 percent as it ramped up operations at Argyle in Australia, the mine known for producing pinks and browns, but pulled back at Diavik, its Canadian mine.
The company’s full-year results include the 77,000 carats mined at the Murowa mine in Zimbabwe through June 17. Rio Tinto sold Murowa in the middle of the year.
In the fourth quarter, production at Argyle nearly doubled year-over-year but was down 4 percent from the third quarter. Rio Tinto said it paused operations at its process plant in order to manage inventory levels.
For the year, production at Argyle increased 47 percent because of a ramp-up in production underground. The underground portion of Argyle opened in May 2013 and was slated to reach full capacity this year.
While production increased at Argyle, it was down 3 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter and 11 percent for the year at Diavik. Operations at the Diavik process plant also were paused in the fourth quarter.
In 2016, Rio Tinto plans to mine even more diamonds, with guidance set at 21 million carats.
The world’s two other major diamond mining companies, De Beers and Alrosa, are scheduled to report their 2015 production figures at the end of the month.
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