Eco-friendly locations / The Best Earth Scars in the World / The Diavik Diamond Mine

The Diavik Diamond Mine is a mine of diamonds in the Northwest Territories , in Canada . Located at about 300 km north of Yellowknife , it became one of the foundations of the economy of the region: 700 people , including about 250 aborigines , work and turnover is over 100 million Canadian dollars per year. Its production is more than 8 million carats ( 1 600 kg ) of diamonds annually. The area was studied in 1992 and work began in 2001 . The production began in January 2003 . The Diavik Diamond Mine is connected via the ice road traveled by trucks in winter or the Diavik airport, which has a gravel runway to1596 m , which is regularly used by Boeing 737 . The mine is jointly owned by Diavik Diamond Mines, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto (60%) and Harry Winston Diamond Mines Ltd.. (40%). The operating life of the mine is estimated at between 16 and 22 years. The mine operates three diamond deposits, or chimneys kimberlite , located on an island, the East Island, 20 km 2 in the Lac de Gras . It is located at about 220 km south of the Arctic Circle . In 2006 , the ice road between Yellowknife to the Diavik mine froze late and thawed early, so that the trucks were unable to transport to the mine supplies needed for the rest of 2006 . The mine had to be supplied by air to a very high price. In 2009 , the ice road was open from 1 st February to 25 March. During this period, trucks transported on ice 173 195 tons of goods (fuel, cement, explosives, equipment) in 5377 rotations 1 . On July 5, 2007, a consortium of seven mining companies, including Rio Tinto, announced the launch of the environmental impact studies for the construction of a deep water port in Bathurst Inlet ( Nunavut ). The project includes the construction of a road of 211 km linking the port to the mines. The port is accessible to boats up to 25 000 tonnes.

Others The Best Earth Scars in the World .

Maps of The Diavik Diamond Mine