(IDEX Online) - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. said that approximately 1,641,000 carats were recovered in the first quarter ended March 31 on a 100% basis from the Gahcho Ku?(C) diamond mine for an average grade of approximately 2.09 carats per tonne. This was 89% and 18% higher, respectively than what was achieved during the same period last year.
Said David Whittle, the company's Interim President and Chief Executive Officer, "We have had a solid start to the year in 2018 and these production results keep us on track to achieve our full-year 2018 production guidance of 6.3 to 6.6 million carats recovered on a 100% basis.
"The grades continue to perform well at the GK Mine and are a key driver of the production results. The plant also continues to achieve higher throughput than originally anticipated, having achieved and broken daily throughput records in a given 24-hour period during the first quarter of 2018. The winter road program was safely and successfully completed, capping off a great first full year of commercial production at the GK Mine." Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Ku?(C) diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories.