Rio Tinto’s diamond production up in Q1’16

Production at Argyle up 5%
Rio Tinto’s diamond production up in Q1’16

Mining giant Rio Tinto announced results of its production activities for the first quarter of 2016 to be a robust performance. The company’s total diamond production valued 4,522 million carats in the quarter, an increase of 10 percent compared to Q1 of 2015 (4,115 million carats) and a 6 percent increase in comparison to the last quarter of 2015 (4,266 million carats).

In the first quarter this year, the company clocked an increase in diamond production at both its Argyle and Diavik mines.

The Argyle mine delivered a 5 percent increase (on y-o-y basis) to 3,391 million carats. The company attributed this to the increased underground volumes. In comparison to the last quarter of 2015, the Argyle mine’s production rose a marginal 1 percent.

At its Diavik mine, Rio Tinto recovered 1,131 million carats, up 26 percent (on y-o-y basis), which it noted was due to higher mining rates, availability of stockpiled ore and higher grades recovered. Production was also 26 per cent higher than the fourth quarter of 2015 following the processing pause late in 2015.

Rio Tinto’s expected share of diamond production in 2016 is unchanged at 21 million carats.

Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh said “These results demonstrate our commitment to operational excellence in 2016.” He further noted, “However, we continue to experience volatility in commodity prices across all markets. In the face of a testing external environment, our focus remains on delivering further cost and productivity improvements, disciplined capital management and maximising free cash flow, to ensure that Rio Tinto remains strong.”


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