A precious stone mining company has started work on an open pit in Northern Australia.
Merlin Diamonds has mobilised a mining fleet to start extraction at one of the pits at Merlin Diamond Mine, 100km south of Borroloola in the Northern Territory.
A short mining campaign recently started at the Kaye open pit, following the successful dewatering. Work will aim to supplement ore stockpiles before the wet season begins. More than 16,000 tonnes of ore has been mined.
“Diamond-bearing kimberlite rock is proving to be rippable with a bulldozer and thus does not require drilling and blasting, which reduces mining costs,” the company says.
“Dewatering of the adjacent Ector pit has also commenced in preparation for future mining from this pipe.”
Treatment will continue throughout the wet season by treating ore from stockpiles and ramping-up of treatment operations and diamond recovery on a single shift are ongoing.
More than 38,000 tonnes of ore has been crushed and screened for treatment through the dense media separation plant.
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