RIO Tinto announced its fourth quarter production results last year on 19 January 2016. Its diamond production in Q4 2015 reached nearly 4.3 million carats with an increase of 50 percent compared to 2.8 million carats in Q4 2014. The full-year production increased by 25 percent from 13.9 million carats in 2014 to 17.4 million carats in 2015.
According to the group, at Argyle, the ramp-up of production from the underground mine delivered a 47-percent increase in carats produced compared to 2014. Production in the fourth quarter was slightly below the previous quarter due to process plant pauses to manage inventory levels. At Diavik, carats recovered were 11 percent lower than in 2014 due to processing plant pauses in the fourth quarter and the absence of stockpiled ore which was processed in the first half of 2014. Carats recovered in the fourth quarter were three percent lower than the same period of 2014 due to lower processing volumes largely offset by higher recovered grades.
← Back