Alrosa Launches Zarya Diamond Mine

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has started diamond production at a newdeposit in Yakutia with an expected mine life of 11 years, it said Wednesday. The Zarya pipe will help compensate for the diminishing resources at the miner's Komsomolsky open-pit site, Alrosa noted. It will havethe capacity to process 1.25 million tonnes of ore per year. Zarya, which is inthe Aikhal division, cost the Russia-based miner RUB 12 billion ($187.3million) to launch. "It is a landmark event for both Alrosa and our country,"said the miner's CEO, Sergey Ivanov. "It is already the second deposit launched in Yakutiain such a short span of time." The company began operations at the Verkhne-Munskoye deposit in Yakutiain October. Image: Rough diamonds. (Alrosa)