Argyle Diamond Mine, Kimberley, Australia
Key Data:
Producer of
Diamonds
Location
Kimberley, northeast Western Australia
Ownership
Rio Tinto (100%)
Geology type
Precambrian diamond-bearing lamproite pipe with associated placer deposits
Mineral type
Native diamonds
Reserve base
83Mt at 2.7ct/t hard-rock, plus 28Mt at 0.2ct/t alluvial (2005)
Production
2006
8.4Mt of ore, producing 29.1Mct of diamonds
Long-term average
34Mct/y
Expected (post 2009)
20Mct/y
Mining method
Conventional open-pit, block-caving underground mining (2009 onwards)
Processing method
Crushing, screening, diamond recovery by heavy medium separation and X-ray fluorescence sorting
Employment
800 plus 200 contractors
Key Equipment:
Open pit
Bucyrus BE39, P&H250XP and Tamrock Driltech D90K rotary drill rigs; O&K RH200 hydraulic excavators; Caterpillar 789B and Unit Rig MT4400 haul trucks fitted with Skega dump body liners
Mining contractor - alluvials and underground development
MacMahons Contractors
Recovery plant
Allis-Chalmers and Nordberg crushers; Dorr-Oliver thickeners; Warman International pumps
Infrastructure
Wartsila diesel generator units; Ansett Australia air services
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