(IDEX Online) - Rio Tinto is forecasting diamond production for 2018 of between 17 and 20 million carats.
The diversified miner owns the Argyle mine in Australia and 60 percent of the Diavik mine in Canada.
At Argyle, 2017 carat production was 23 percent higher than 2016 due to the additional processing of higher grade alluvial tailings.
At Diavik, carats recovered in 2017 were 12 percent higher than 2016 due to higher recovered grades.