The company’s 40% owned Diavik Diamond Mine in Northwest Canada produced 1.93 million carats from 0.52mt of ore processed, compared to 1.93 million carats from 0.64mt of ore processed during the corresponding period of 2011.
Harry Winston attributed the decline in ore processed to a shift in production from the lower grade, lower value A-418 open pit to higher grade and higher value ore from the underground mining of the A-154 pipes.
The company had concluded open pit mining of the A-418 kimberlite pipe in September, but ore processing will continue into Q4 of 2012.
Diavik is projected to produce approximately 7.4 million carats from the mining of 2.0 million tonnes of ore and the processing of 2.2 million tonnes of ore for the full year of 2012.
