DIAMONDS: Stornoway to add large diamond recovery to Renard plant

QUEBEC – The Renard diamond project 350 km north of Chibougamau isn't even in production yet, but it is about to take a big leap in profitability. Owner Stornoway Diamond Corp. of Montreal has decided to add a large diamond recovery circuit to the diamond plant design.

When interviewed recently by CMJ, Stornoway president and CEO Matt Manson said the recovery of large stones would be "gravy", adding "The recovery of big diamonds is not reflected in our costs or feasibility."

(Read the complete story of Renard, Quebec's first diamond mine, in the October 2014 issue of Canadian Mining Journal.)

The size distribution of stones in samples taken from the Renard 2 kimberlite, that will provide 82% of output in the first 11 years of production, has the statistical potential to yield three to six stones between 50 and 100 ct, plus one or two stones larger than 100 ct for every 100,000 ct recovered. That amount represents two to three weeks' output.

Stornoway says the large diamond recovery circuit will be built within the current capital budget of $946 million. Nameplate capacity will remain at 6,000 t/d. The project is fully funded to production, expected to begin in the second half of 2016.

See also StornowayDiamonds.com.