ALROSA, the largest global rough diamond producer by volume, reported that its diamond production for the first nine months of 2017 rose by 6% over the same period a year ago to reach 29.5 million carats (9M 2016: 27.9 mn cts). The Company said that the increase was driven by higher production at alluvial deposits, Udachny underground mine and Karpinskogo-1 pipe operated by Severalmaz.

Production for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was 10.2 mn cts, a decline of 7% year-on-year (Q3 2016: 11.0 mn cts), with the diamond grade recovered falling to 0.65 cpt (Q3 2016: 0.79 cpt), the Company reported. However, the recovered grade over the first nine months of 2017 stood at 0.93 cpt, marginally higher than the 0.90 cpt grade reported during the same period a year earlier.

Igor Sobolev, First Vice President of ALROSA said, “Company’s diamond production grew as a result of more active operations at alluvial deposits and strategic mining assets – Udachny underground mine and Karpinskogo-1 pipe operated by Severalmaz. The Company reaffirms its 2017 production plan for a total of 39.3 million carats.”

ALROSA also provided a preliminary report of its sales performance, noting that in  Q3 2017 it sold 7.5 million carats of diamonds, including 4.9 million carats of gem-quality diamonds at an average price of US$ 169 per carat and 2.6 million carats of industrial diamonds at an average price of US$ 9 per carat. Rough diamond sales amounted to as much as US$ 848 million in Q3 2017 and as much as US$ 3.3 billion for 9M 2017. Polished diamond sales for these periods amounted to as much as US$ 13.2 million and US$ 68.1 million, respectively, ALROSA reported.