(IDEX Online) - ALROSA's management has decided to revise its output plan at its International underground mine as the company toughens its approach to health and safety management, though the 2018 production plan remains unchanged, it said. The results of the audit conducted following the Mir mine accident last year led to a revision of the construction project for the International mine. The company decided to suspend the construction of deep mine levels below the level of -800 meters whereas it is necessary to carry out works to prevent gas-dynamic phenomena recorded here. Mining at lower levels is expected to resume at the end of 2018 when studies will be carried out and expert recommendations will be received.
At the same time, the intensity of mine footage is expected to be reduced for safety reasons. According to preliminary estimates, mining operations below the level -800 meters will be fully restored in 2023, after which the underground mine will return to its designed capacity of 500,000 tonnes. ALROSA's production plan for 2018 remains unchanged at 36.6 million carats. According to the company's estimates, from 2019 to 2022, the decline in production at International will be between 0.5 and 0.8 million carats per year. "This decision means changes in sequence of mining and preparing the ore body," said ALROSA First Deputy CEO - Executive Director Igor Sobolev. "Now we are starting planning for the next years, during which we will consider the existing options to intensify production at other fields and balance the production plan. We will also work to reduce the time required for the implementation of the necessary activities at the International mine.""In our decision to reduce pace and output we were guided by new stricter rules governing health and safety.Our employees' health and safety are an absolute priority for us," said CEO Sergey Ivanov.