A De Beers official has confirmed to miningweekly.com that the currently under construction Venetia underground mine is on schedule to deliver ore even before the targeted start of production in 2022. The mine is being developed by De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM).

The underground project of the mine is expected to deliver 133 mn tonnes of ore with an estimated yield of 94 mn carats. At present, Venetia, with its open pit operations alone, is the largest producer of diamonds in South Africa.

According to the website, De Beers has said that the underground mine will have two shafts, a prodcution shaft and a service shaft, and at completion will be 1,000 m in depth. About 250 m of the production shaft and 150 m of the service shaft is already complete.

The underground project is expected extend the life span of the Venetia mine into the mid-2040s. Yield from the open pit operations is expected to end bewteen 2020 qnd 2022, the official said.