Russian mining major Alrosa has revised the production plan of its International underground mine, near Mirny, as it takes a tougher stance on health and safety management.
The production plan for 2018 remains unchanged at 36.6-million carats, but under the revised plan for 2019 to 2022, output at International will decline by between 500 000 ct and 800 000 ct a year.
Advertisement“This decision means changes in sequence of mining and preparing the ore body. Now we are starting planning for the next years, during which we will consider the existing options to intensify production at other fields and balance the production plan,” Alrosa first deputy CEO Igor Sobolev said in a press statement.
The revised plan for International follows an audit conducted following the Mir mine accident last year. Alrosa has decided to suspend the construction of mine levels below 800 m and to reduce the intensity of mine footage for safety reasons.
AdvertisementAccording to preliminary estimates, mining operations at 800 m below the surface will be fully restored in 2023, after which the underground mine will return to its designed capacity of 500 000 t.