The Supervisory Board of Alrosa, at a meeting on December 11, approved the company’s consolidated budget for the coming year and indicated that in 2015 rough diamond production will grow to 38.2 mn carats and aggregate rough diamond sales by the group will rise to nearly 40 mn carats.

The meeting also reviewed the preliminary estimates of the group’s performance in 2014 with rough production estimated at 36.1 mn carats and total sales of rough and polished exceeding US$ 5 billion.

The rise in output will be mainly driven by increased mining in the Mir and Udachny underground mines, reaching design capacity at Internatsionalny underground mine and the commencement of production at Botuobinskaya and Karpinskogo-1 pipes, the company said. The mining assortment is also expected to improve.

The Board also approved the long-term development programme up to 2023. The comapny will remain focused on exploration, mining and sale of rough diamonds with production rising to 41 mn carats.

Alrosa will be withdrawing from nine non-core business affiliates in 2015.