Lucapa to Restart Lulo Operations

RAPAPORT... Lucapa Diamond Company will resume partial operations at its Lulo mine in Angola after the government relaxed the lockdown rules for essential sectors.From this week, the company will limit work to two shifts per day, for six days of the week, while following government health-and-safety measures, it said Friday. Operations will exceed 50% of capacity, making it easier for the company to return to full capacity as soon as the authorities lift all restrictions, Lucapa noted. Starting April 24, Angola allowed essential industries to bring 50% of their employees back into work, after stricter provisions had been in place since April 1 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Mining at Lulo had been shut during that period of lockdown.Meanwhile, Lucapa's Mothae deposit in Lesotho is still on care and maintenance while the country's restrictions remain. Lucapa is working with the government on a plan to restart that operation."Lucapa and its partners continue to work with leaders in our industry on innovative solutions to ensure that our mines receive the best possible value for their special product," said Lucapa CEO Stephen Wetherall.Image: A parcel of rough diamonds from the Lulo mine. (Lucapa Diamond Company)