Overview -
The Ellendale Mine is located some 2,000 km north of Perth in Western Australia. The mine produces high-value rough diamonds, beginning in mid-2002. The mine's fancy and vivid yellow diamonds are an important component of the production mix. Mining is currently estimated to continue until 2014.
The mine produced over 766,000 carats during its first five years of operations. Production reached 378,000 carats following the expansion of diamond production facilities at Ellendale Pipe 9.
Pipe 9 has been in production since 2002.
Pipe 4, 15 km south of Pipe 9, reached full production by April 2006. In February 2007, announced that the newly commissioned 4.4 mtpa plant expansion at Ellendale 4 South Plant provides for increasing the processing capacity.
Kimberley is actively exploring the 128 km
2 Ellendale mining lease, which contains some 44 lamproite pipes with the potential to deliver future production. Kimberley also holds a 51% interest in diamond explorer Blina Diamonds NL, which controls an 1,500 km
2 tenement package covering and surrounding the Ellendale field; this includes 50 identified lamproite pipes and a number of alluvial channels.
Kimberley currently employs approximately 170 people at the mine who are accommodated on site. The work roster is 14 days on / 7 days off and is a fly-in / fly-out operation from Broome and Derby.
The mine is owned by Gem Diamonds Ltd's wholly-owned subsidiary, the Kimberley Diamond Company. The company is one of two diamond producers in Australia.
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