Production at Rio Tinto’s Diavik mine in Canada rose in the first quarter as the site returned to normal levels after temporarily halting production a year ago.
Output grew 27% year on year to 942,000 carats for the three months that ended March 31, Rio Tinto said Wednesday. Production was also up 22% from the previous quarter.
During the same period a year ago, the miner paused operations to allow workers to grieve for colleagues who died in a plane crash. The first quarter of 2024 also directly followed the shutdown of two major kimberlite pipes, minimizing the total ore available for processing.
During the period, Rio Tinto recovered a yellow diamond weighing 158.20 carats from Diavik — one of the largest gem-quality yellow diamonds ever discovered in Canada.
The deposit, which is Rio Tinto’s only diamond asset since it closed the Argyle mine in Australia in 2020, is due to shut next year. Rio Tinto is currently exploring for diamonds in Angola.
The company has not provided full-year production guidance for Diavik. In 2024, output came to 2.8 million carats, 17% lower than the previous year.
Image: The Diavik mine. (Rio Tinto)
