Murowa diamond mine
The
Murowa diamond mine is a
diamond mine located in south central
Zimbabwe, about 40 kilometres from
Zvishavane. The mine is majority owned and operated by the
Rio Tinto Group, which also owns the
Argyle diamond mine in
Australia and the
Diavik Diamond Mine in
Canada.
The Murowa site's possibilities were first realized in
1997, when three diamond-bearing
kimberlite pipes were discovered; over a period of three years of study, the two larger pipes have been determined to be economically feasible as mines. Construction of mine facilities was completed in late
2004. Preparation for mining included the forced relocation of 926 people living on the mine site to six farms purchased by a government relocation program. Limited mining operations began in Murowa in 2004, with full capacity expected to be reached sometime in
2005, although permitting problems have slowed progress toward this milestone. Full scale production is expected to process 200,000 tonnes of ore annually, although it is possible to push production to as much as one million tonnes annually through further capital investment.
The mine is a combination of
open pit and underground construction; current estimates put construction costs at $61 million
USD. Current estimates of mine reserves are 19 million
tonnes of
ore, with an
ore grade of 0.9
carats per tonne (180 mg/t). Rio Tinto estimates that over the life of the mine, prices for the Murowa's production will fetch an average price of $65 USD per carat (325 $/g).
*
Rio Tinto Diamonds: Murowa Rough Diamonds (Retrieved April 15, 2005)
*
"Murowa Diamond Set To Reach Full Production".
The Financial Gazette: February 2, 2005.
