Temporary inactivation drops Rio Tinto's production

In January of this year, a plane crashed in Canada, with several workers from Rio Tinto's Diavik mine on board. The mining company subsequently decided to temporarily pause operations at the mine to give its workers sufficient time and space to process this tragic accident. This temporary halt in operations caused diamond production to drop 28% in the second quarter compared to the same period last year.

In addition, part of the Diavik mine was completely depleted, and production was completely halted in that area. These events combined to produce 25% fewer diamonds during the first half of 2024 than the previous year.

Another significant event that has impacted the productivity of the Diavik mine is the temporary closure of a section due to unstable ground and unsafe working conditions. At present, Rio Tinto is unable to predict the duration of this closure or its effects on production for the remainder of the year.

Picture credit: Rio Tinto