Lucapa Diamond Company Limited announced today that it has begun the process of commercial diamond recoveries through the new treatment plant at the Mothae kimberlite diamond mine in Lesotho (Lucapa 70%; Government of Lesotho 30%). With this, the ramp-up to 1.1Mtpa nameplate capacity has commenced.

Lucapa Managing Director Stephen Wetherall noted that the beginning of commercial recoveries through the new 1.1Mtpa Mothae plant “represented another key milestone in Lucapa’s strategic development plan”.

“Lucapa is on track to become one of a few listed diamond companies globally with production from more than one operating mine,” he stated. “The high-quality nature of this production from Lulo and Mothae will also enable the group to further its value-enhancing downstream strategy through partnerships with global diamantaires, where discussions are well advanced.”

The new Mothae plant incorporates advanced diamond recovery technology, including two XRT diamond recovery modules designed to recover large and rare Type IIa diamonds ahead of the secondary crushing circuit, thus reducing potential diamond breakage and improving the recovery of unbroken large stones, the Company explained.

“The plant will be progressively ramped up to its 1.1Mtpa nameplate capacity following the implementation of a second plant operating shift,” Lucapa said.

Lucapa said that production from the Mothae kimberlite mine will complement that from Lucapa’s high-value Lulo mine in Angola (Lucapa 40% and operator), “which produces the world’s highest average US$ per carat alluvial diamond production”.

Pic Cap: Lucapa and Mothae management examining the XRT large diamond-recovery circuits

Pic Courtesy: Lucapa Diamond Company Limited