OPERATIONS
to 3 million tons per year by 2016 , reaching full capacity of four million tons by 2019 . The cumulative production by 2034 is expected to reach 72.3 million tons of ore .
Once at capacity , the mine will be able to provide over five million carats of diamonds per year .
Future of ALROSA While the transitioning of the mine to underground has gone seemingly well , it hasn ’ t been without its obstacles .
According to Kozenko , one of the main problems at the construction of Udachny underground mine was mineralized groundwater .
“ As to the chemical elements content , groundwater is not dangerous to human health , but is harmful to metal , which requires additional protection for machines and cables . In the early 2000s , ALROSA was considering the possibility for separating useful elements from groundwater , but this project was considered unprofitable .
16 September 2014