Perth-based explorer Lucapa Diamond Company has announced that alluvial mining operations continued ahead of plan in August at the Lulo Diamond Project in Angola.
Image credit: Lucapa Diamond ASX release
The company said that the recent investment on earth moving fleet and equipment saw Lulo achieve record monthly processing volumes of 22,870 bulk cubic metres (BCM) in August, surpassing the 21,114 bcm achieved in the previous month.
According to Lucapa, diamond production in August at Lulo totalled 2,882 carats – the second best month on record – and included 39 Special diamonds (individual stones weighing > 10.8 carats) of up to 80.5 carats.
These figures take the number of Specials recovered at Lulo to 98 in the first two months of the September 2016 quarter as the Lulo partners (Angola’s state-run diamond company Endiama and Rosas & Pétalas) continue to mine high-value areas such as Mining Block 8.
Endiama Chairman Antonio Carlos Sumbula, who was in Perth last week for the Africa Down Under conference, said the average monthly diamond grade for August was 12.6 carats per 100 cubic metres, while the average size of the diamonds recovered in August was 1.7 carats.
“Lulo continues to produce diamonds of the highest quality and the investment in new fleet and equipment is delivering more positive results,” Mr Sumbula concluded.
