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Rough diamonds

As its production increases, Britain-based diamond company Petra is seguewaying the focus of its operations from smaller-scale fissure mines to larger-scale diamond resources and is now looking to sell off some of the former, Mining Weekly reports.

 

After Petra neatly doubled the 1.1 million carats it produced in 2011 with 2.2 million carats in the 2012 season, the firm plans to harvest five million carats of diamonds annually in seven years' time. The company achieved this growth primarily by commencing extraction at its Finsch mine in September. The mine joins Petra's roster of mines which includes Cullinan, Koffiefontein, Williamson and Kimberley.

 

As of result of its successes, Petra intends to jettison its fissure mines, which include Helam, Sedibeng and Star, saying that these are more appropriate for entry-level players in the diamond industry, according to Mining Weekly. These mines are thought to contain 12 to 15 years' worth of diamonds.