The largest countries in terms of diamond reserves. How are diamonds mined? Where are diamonds mined? Where diamonds are mined in Russia

At the beginning of the last century, in 1905, the largest diamond in the world was found in Africa. Its weight was 3106.75 carats or 621 grams. The crystal was named after the owner of the Cullinan mine and was a birthday present to King Edward VII of England.

The diamond had cracks and could not be made into one giant diamond. To split the stone correctly, the best cutter in Europe was called in, who could polish a tiny area on the surface of the stone, look inside and determine the place of a single blow.

The Master studied the Cullinan for several months, and then made a barely noticeable scratch. Then, in the presence of famous jewelers, he put a chisel to the scratch, struck and ... lost consciousness. Despite the excitement, the blow turned out to be accurate: the stone "opened" into ten parts, one of which later became the largest diamond in the world. It was only in the 90s that another gem was obtained, surpassing it by 15 carats.

This is a beautiful story about a beautiful stone. But, as you know, behind the beauty are things that are much more prosaic. Today I propose to find out how diamonds are mined in our time. Let's go down to the "Internatsionalnaya" pipe mine, from where two buckets of diamonds are raised every day ...

Before starting a story about mining, I propose to understand how diamonds are formed and where is the hole in the ground here:

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Diamonds are born in underground channels formed at the site of former volcanoes. These formations are called kimberlite pipes, and they look like carrots in the ground. They contain special rocks (kimberlites) in which diamonds are formed. The volcanoes that served as the beginning of the formation of the pipes are so ancient that the level of the earth at that time was much higher:

"Fir-trees" above the pipes are not the Siberian taiga, but models of small mines, with the help of which they determine the dimensions of the pipes:

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Diamonds are mined by open-pit and mine methods. In the first case, a huge quarry is dripping. On the layout, if you look closely, there are yellow dots. These are huge Belaz, which take the rock to the surface. Sooner or later, when a quarry reaches a certain size, it becomes costly to open-cut mining, and then they switch to a mine. In this case, mines are dug around the ore body like a spiral staircase:

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Ore bodies can look different. Somewhere there is one trunk, but somewhere there are several:

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The search for the receiver was carried out in 1955 in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. Having discovered it, geologists sent the famous telegram to Moscow, which gave the name to the field:

This is how Mirny looked in the early years - just a tent camp. Two streets can be traced: Moskovskaya, which was built by Muscovites, and Leningradskaya, which was built by residents of the Northern capital. In 1956, the industrial operation of the tube began. Open-pit mining on it was completed in 2001, and the huge crater became a bright sight of the city. Today the quarry, 525 meters deep and 1200 meters wide, is visible even from space:

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Leningradskaya Street in the early years:

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The geologists lived in tents, but very well equipped:

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I went down to the "Internatsionalnaya" pipe mine. Mine model. Areas that have already been worked out are painted yellow, those that are to be worked out in green. They get it like this: at the required level, they break through several tunnels in the ore body at regular intervals, as if poking a fork into a sausage. Then concrete is poured into the voids so that the rock does not collapse. Then the operation is repeated again:

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Before going down into the mine, you need to listen to the safety precautions. Show video with instructions:

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Examples of miner's outfit. Everyone has a "rescuer" hanging around their necks, if suddenly there is a collapse or some kind of emergency, the "rescuer" is able to supply oxygen for six hours of breathing. It is forbidden to shoot and move away from it further than three meters:

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"Rescuers" are given out in the lamp room. Immediately they keep track of how many people went down into the mine and how many went up. Together with the rescuer, they give out a flashlight and a helmet:

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All according to strict lists:

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The flashlight works on a single charge for about a day:

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While they are on the rack, the batteries are being charged:

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"Waiting room" before the descent. The lift goes up and down several times a day according to the schedule and the whole shift gathers in the hall, so that later they can go down together:

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Access to the elevator shaft. The door is sealed like a submarine:

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We descend to a depth of about a kilometer:

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The descent took about five minutes - I just didn't notice:

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One of the "horizons" that leads to the mine. It says -560 meters on the wall, meaning below sea level. Since Mirny himself stands at an altitude of 400 meters, it turns out that we went underground almost a kilometer (960 meters):

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Elevator control panel:

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Then the shift goes to the level and goes through the tunnel:

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We pass under the eyelashes like suitcases to the airport luggage compartment:

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There is a minibus at a depth of one kilometer underground:

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Similar to Hummer:

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Driver:

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Pass the fare!

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We reach the mine in five minutes. There is a ventilation pipe under the roof of the tunnel. Breathe easily and freely:

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Near the mine, from the minibus stop, branches go up and down to the mine:

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We go up a little higher, where the development is currently taking place:

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Here. This is kimberlite:

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A little later I photographed kimberlite in the museum:

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Red blotches are pyrope, the faithful companion of diamonds:

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The kimberlite body is "gnawed" by a special harvester:

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Sharoshka and its trace in the breed:

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Then he goes upstairs:

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There is a bulldozer behind the combine and picks up the ore:

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Motor Mercedes:

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The ore is loaded onto wagons and delivered to the surface. From there it is transported to the mining and processing plant:

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Equipment repair place. This is all also underground and at the same level:

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At the exit from the mine, you need to wash your boots:

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Guys waiting for the "lifter":

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I asked: what if you find a diamond in a mine? The guys said it was almost impossible to see a diamond in the rock (no one remembered such cases). In addition, this is a criminal offense and no one dares to commit it:

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Having risen to the surface, the workers go to the lamp room, hand over flashlights, rescuers and change clothes:

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Canteen:

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What happens next? The ore is crushed, separating the rock from the diamonds (multi-level and complex technology), after which the precious stones are sorted by size and color:

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Valuable case with assorted diamonds:

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Well, the Diamond Heart of Russia. According to the Assay Office under the Ministry of Finance, about 38 million carats were mined in Russia last year, of which 35.3 million carats of rough diamonds were exported. The largest exporters of Russian diamonds are Belgium and India:

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Everyone decided that this find had no industrial significance. They returned to exploration much later, in the middle of the 20th century. Given this fact, it is difficult to imagine that all three of the world's largest diamond deposits are currently located in Russia. Who else is lucky? We understand further, in our TOP of the largest diamond deposits in the world.

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The jubilee quarry in Yakutia is leading in terms of the total stock of precious stones - 153 million carats. Operation here began in 1986, and to date, the development depth has reached 320 meters. The forecasts include further deepening up to 720 meters.

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The Udachny diamond quarry is also located in Yakutia. It is just nothing inferior to the Jubilee one - 152 million carats. The deposit was found in 1955, so the open work was completed in 2015, however, underground mining is expected to continue for several decades. At the time of closing, the depth of the quarry was 640 meters - a world record!

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At the moment, the World is already closed: in 2001, open works were completed, and since 2009, diamonds have been mined here by the underground method. The mine still presents surprises - in 2012, the President diamond weighing 79.9 carats was found here, which, however, is 4.3 times less than the XXVI Congress of the KPSS diamond found in 1980. The total reserves of the world are estimated at 141 million carats.

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Argyll is at the same time one of the rarest and "worst" diamond deposits in the world. How can it be? Yes, simple. Most of the diamonds mined here are of technical quality. But sometimes ... Oh, sometimes the rarest pink diamonds are found in Argyll. Each of these finds is a reason for a separate auction, because 9 out of 10 pink diamonds in the world are from Argyll. The total reserves of the deposit are estimated at 140 million carats.

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Up to 130 million carats is the total value of Catoca in Angola. And since the field is quite young (work began here in 1993), most of these reserves are promising, that is, they still have to be raised. It is believed that over the next 30 years, the mine will deepen to 600 meters (now 200) and then the development will cease.

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Venice, one of De Beers' largest mines, accounts for about 102 million carats. She alone brings the company 10% of the annual diamond production. The reserves are located in 12 kimberlite pipes, which will be developed for another 20 years.

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This field is being developed by a subsidiary of NK Lukoil, Arkhangelskgeoldobycha, but the quarry will change its owner in the near future. It will be Otkritie Holding, which will pay $ 1.45 billion for 100% of the company's shares. Note that the deposit itself is estimated at 98 million carats, and the annual production of diamonds in the near future is 1 million carats.

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Jwaneng accounts for about 88.3 million carats, but this particular mine is considered the "richest" in the world, given the amount of diamonds mined here. For example, in 2011, 10.641 million carats were mined here, and development is already underway at a depth of 350 meters!

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Orapa is one of the oldest diamond quarries in the world, mining began here in 1971. Its reserves are estimated at 85.7 million carats. Even now, this quarry remains one of the most productive in the world, but the record production of precious stones is already behind us: in 2006, 17.3 million carats were produced here, then production began to decline.

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The Botubinskaya diamond pipe is located in Yakutia. Industrial development began in 2012 and is only picking up speed now. For the first time, Botoubin diamonds entered the market in 2015. The total reserves of the pipe are expected to be 70.9 million carats, and the life of the field is estimated at 40 years from the start of development.

The world diamond market is represented by the mining and trade of rough diamonds. The bulk of the world diamond mining is concentrated in 9 countries, whose share of the global production in kind is ~ 99%. The world's largest producers of natural diamonds are Russia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Botswana, which together provide over 60% of the world's diamond production.

Leading countries of the world diamond mining. 2016: 134.1 million carats

World diamond production 2011-2016 (thousand carats)

Source: Kimberley Process

In value terms, the leading countries of the market account for about 96% of the world diamond production. The leading position in terms of the cost of extracted raw materials belongs to Russia, Botswana and Canada, the total production of which is more than 60% of the global production.

Countries leading world diamond mining in terms of value. 2016: $ 12,401 million

Source: Kimberley Process

World diamond mining 2011-16 - USD million

Source: Kimberley Process

Russia ranks first in the world in terms of the volume and value of diamonds mined. The ALROSA Group produces 93% of the total diamond production in the Russian Federation in physical terms, and is the leader in the world diamond mining industry. In the main diamond-producing countries, mining is carried out by large mining companies, with the exception of Zimbabwe and the DRC, where the development of diamond deposits is carried out by small companies and also by artisanal miners. The table presents the geographic characteristics of the activities of the main diamond mining companies, including the countries in which the companies carry out geological exploration (geological exploration).

Source: company reports

World diamond mining by leading companies in 2016, million carats

* - source: company reports, Kimberley Process

Production volumes at the main diamond deposits of the world in 2016 (thousand carats)

Source: Kimberley Process, company reports; * - Ekati is developed by open and underground methods; ** - production, incl. reworking a quarry

The bulk of the world's diamond mining is concentrated in large primary deposits, which provide about 60% of the world's diamond production. The rest of the production is concentrated in alluvial deposits, the main of which are in the DRC (Mbuji-Mayi) and Zimbabwe (Marange).

Diamonds mined at the deposits are subdivided by quality characteristics into two categories: jewelry and technical. The first is used in the production of diamond jewelry, the second category is used for industrial purposes (production of drills, saws and abrasive powders). Rough gem-quality diamonds are sorted by size, color, quality and shape before being sold, and then sold to customers in accordance with the marketing policy of the rough diamond manufacturing company. Depending on the quality of the mined raw materials, the current state of the market, the adopted marketing policy, companies use different approaches when selling diamonds: websites, tenders, auctions, one-time and long-term contracts.
The world's largest trade centers, in which the bulk of the trade in natural rough diamonds is concentrated, are: India, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Hong Kong and Israel. After being sold from the mines, natural rough diamonds are sent to cutting enterprises, where they are cut and polished into diamonds, which are then used to make jewelry.

Hello our diamond readers! Diamonds have always attracted royal attention. You can see them in photographs, exhibitions and in jewelry houses and shops, as they like to say now, "packed". Have you ever wondered how diamonds are mined in Russia and around the world? After reading the materials of the article, you will find the answer to this question.

How is the development of deposits carried out? What are the mining locations? What are the types of field development? What is a kimberlite pipe? Where do the most expensive and valuable diamonds come from? Who is the leader in terms of deposits and the main countries in diamond mining? All this, well, and some more interesting facts and secrets, you will learn after reading.

Therefore, let's not hesitate and plunge into the world of mining some of the most expensive minerals on our planet. We are sure that reading the article will be interesting! We wish you a pleasant reading!

Diamond mining: how minerals are mined in the fields

Perhaps this issue should be considered at the very beginning. If we understand how the places of diamond reserves are being developed, then it is possible, on the basis of this, to determine those countries and states that can do this. The mining process is not only laborious, but also costly in terms of financing, since the equipment for mining and exploration does not cost 100 rubles.

So, a step-by-step process of field development:

1. How and where to find diamonds? In most cases, the longest term. Exploration of the future field... It can be produced over several years. The exploration of reserves, first of all, must answer the fundamental questions on which the expediency of investing will depend:

• the amount of mineral reserves found and the method of extraction at the deposit... The value of future investments depends on this;
• climatic conditions... There is no doubt that mining minerals in harsh and frozen lands or beyond the Arctic Circle is much more expensive and energy-intensive than in hot climates. You should also take into account the depth, since sometimes deposits can be located under the ocean or sea waters. If the found deposit does not pay off these costs in the calculations, then it is usually marked on maps and left until better times (until the reserves reach a "justified" limit in terms of investments, or until the cost of development becomes cheaper, or until the reserves run out in other places of production);
• the possibility of summing up the infrastructure and the establishment of a logistics line. It can also significantly affect a positive decision (fuel is now expensive all over the world);
• payback period... In essence, this is a theoretical calculation of profitability. It includes the calculation of previously described and still other costs and the calculation of the possible profit from the treasures laid in the bowels of the earth.

If everything went well and the development is profitable, then after completing the necessary documentation and any bureaucratic papers and permits, you should proceed to the second stage.

1. Start of development and tightening of infrastructure lines... So the process began ... The global procurement of equipment, materials, construction of premises for workers, electricity supply, construction of internal roads on site, and so on and so on begins ... Also during this stage, a logistics line is being established. Many mining companies, as a rule, have their own permanent logistics partners, with whom it remains only to agree on the price and schedules of transportation and delivery. After the "working" site of the site has been prepared, the search for reserves of the deposit begins and the third stage is launched in parallel.
2. Factory production stage... In order not to carry the ore from which the diamonds will be "selected" far from the place of birth, factories and production facilities are often located near the deposit. Such costs pay off quickly, since it is easier to process the mineral near the site and then carry the finished product than to drive the unprocessed ore far to production and only then start searching for it in the ore and subsequent processing.
3. Development and full-fledged work... This is the most basic step. Full-fledged work begins over a long period of time. From several months and years to several decades (it is precisely at the stage of exploration that this is determined).
4. Completion of work... In fact, after the field has given up all its reserves, it must be “frozen”. That is, to remove all the constructed structures, take away the equipment, fence off the territory and close all the "holes" through which the ore was mined. For example, after the development of an oil well, the dug mine is concreted. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, since this also requires costs. Therefore, in most cases, you can see just an abandoned mine with the remains of garbage.

Types of deposits in the world

Diamond ore, like other ores, can be mined in several ways. There is nothing complicated here, since these processes have been known for a long time. But technologies do not stand still and new types of reserves development appear.

• The most popular way is open... You can also find another name - career. Everything is very simple. The dramatic reduction in development costs is achieved through ease of extraction and high productivity. The least amount of labor and energy resources is spent.

Excavation of a quarry begins and as the field develops, a deepening into the depths of the Earth takes place. The open method includes the so-called kimberlite pipes, which we will talk about separately a little later, since they deserve special attention.

• An equally popular way is closed... It is also called mine. It is used when open pit mining is not efficient and profitable. There is also a deepening into the bowels of the earth's crust, but through the mine paths.

This is a more dangerous method, as there is a possibility of stumbling upon accumulations of explosive gases, which can lead to an explosion, collapse or suffocation of workers. There is also a high probability of collapses and flooding with poorly fixed ceilings. Therefore, miners often carry birds with them in a cage for a long time and go down with dogs.

Unlike humans, animals have retained more developed instincts, which helps everyone to quickly detect the impending danger. Animals have saved the lives of many miners dozens of times.

• Combined... Some deposits allow for both quarry and mine development.
• Marine prey... Extraction occurs from the bottom of a reservoir, most often sea or ocean. A relatively recent type of mining in the world. Requires expensive equipment and sometimes special robots.

Kimberlite pipe: another interesting fact

In short, these are the places that provide us with diamonds by 90 percent, as they are the primary diamond deposit.

The kimberlite pipe is named after the place where it was first discovered. It happened on the African continent in the Kimberley province. This is where it all started. Development and production was carried out from 1886 to 1914. At the moment, this deposit has practically exhausted itself. For the concept of size and scale: the total area is 17 hectares, the perimeter is 1.6 km, the depth of the pit is 240 meters. This tube can be seen from space. Its scope is amazing.

In its shape, it resembles a glass of champagne rather than the pipe itself. The tubes form in the places of ancient and stable earth platforms (some information from the theory of motion and the creation of earth's crust plates), where volcanoes used to be. In places where there was a breakthrough of magma and its instant cooling due to temperature differences and pressure differences.

Why do minerals choose such powerful platforms over thinner ones? This still remains a mystery. The ore that is mined from it is called kimberlite. In this form, the deposit contains not only diamonds, but also other minerals, which are also expensive and rare.

Currently, the largest quarry for the extraction of diamonds and other minerals is located in Yakutia at the Zarnitsa deposit.

The opening and start of work was in 1954. Now the remaining reserves are being extracted at the bottom of the pipe in a closed way. It is estimated that mining will continue for over thirty years.

The kimberlite pipe "Mir" is also famous all over the world. The harsh climatic conditions and permafrost brought their own challenges to the development. From the very beginning until 2001, so many diamonds were mined from its reserves that their approximate total value today is $ 17 billion. Now it is also closed.

Kimberlite pipes are constantly being discovered in new locations. They are constantly being explored and developed.

Secretly, the rarest diamonds are formed when exposed to sharp and high temperatures and a sharp and instantaneous differential pressure. These conditions arise when a meteorite strikes the earth's crust. It should be assumed that the impact of the Tunguska meteorite could also form rare diamonds, which remained "in the depths of a mysterious history."

Synthetic diamonds: myth or replacement for natural resources

Diamond, like most natural compounds (graphite, plastic, gasoline, etc.), is carbon. The only difference is in the number of bonds between the elements and in the structure of the crystal lattice. Modern technologies and discoveries in science make it possible to replace some elements, for example, the same diamonds, with products obtained experimentally by the synthetic method.

Synthetic diamonds can completely repeat the structure and look beautiful, but they cannot yet replace diamonds obtained by the natural method. It is very difficult to repeat many of the wonders of nature. They are inferior in strength and play in the sun. The most famous are musanite and cubic zirconia. And this is good. After all, you will probably agree that if it becomes possible to replace the laboratory-obtained element with the original, then the latter will lose all value.

Despite this, synthetic diamonds have found a variety of uses in many industries. They help improve the quality of goods and services at low cost.

Leading countries in diamond mining today

The first country where diamonds were found was India. Deposits have also been found in Brazil. However, after a short period of time, they lost their positions.

The specific conditions necessary for the formation of diamonds make their deposits rare. The main and world leader is Africa, or more precisely, the Congo, South Africa and Botswana (the recently announced leader).

Russia is in second place. The overwhelming majority of deposits are located in Yakutia.

However, it is worth considering that the search for diamonds does not stop. Recently, deposits were found in Australia (where the rarest purple diamonds are currently being mined), as well as in northern Canada.

The world is constantly being explored for diamonds and other precious deposits. Any topic related to diamonds is so interesting that you can talk about it endlessly. But, unfortunately, it's time to part for a while. Thank you very much for your interest and attention! We are sure that it was interesting for you, and you were not wasting your time. Do not forget to recommend the article to your friends on social networks, we will be very grateful!

Team LubiStones

To answer the question of how diamonds are mined, first you need to know where the deposits are. Crystals are formed at a depth of 100-200 km and deeper at temperatures no lower than 1100 ºС. But this is still not enough - in order for carbon from graphite to become diamond, a pressure of at least 35 kilobars is necessary. It is under such conditions that diamonds are formed. They are carried to the upper layers of the earth's crust by powerful flows of magma during volcanic eruptions. Volcanic explosions are the cause of the formation of kimberlite pipes, deposits of a precious mineral. They are named so because for the first time such pipes were found in South Africa in the Kimberley province. By the name of the place, the diamondiferous rock, kimberlite, began to be called. By the 21st century, thousands of pipes have been discovered around the world, but only a small part of them are suitable for industrial crystal mining.

Today, diamonds are mined either in kimberlite deposits or in placers. The first mining of these stones began in India long before our era, when diamond seekers discovered deposits, mines and placers were developed for centuries. Almost all of the world's most famous antique diamonds come from there.

Diamond mining is a process that requires large financial costs and efforts. To mine 1 carat of diamonds, you need to process a whole ton of kimberlite rock. In placers, there are 3-5 carats per ton of rock. However, it is not only the extraction of crystals from rocks that is long and difficult. Diamond deposits still need to be found, and this can take years, if not decades. Finding a kimberlite pipe or placer requires the efforts of hundreds of people, but even when deposits of the mineral are found, it will take several years for the first stone to be mined. It takes time and money to purchase equipment, build an enrichment plant, hire specialists, and you also need to prepare the deposit itself for development.

All over the world, diamonds are mined on an industrial scale in quarries. They are first dug with drilling rigs and then blown up. The rock obtained by the explosion is loaded onto trucks and transported to the processing plant. There the rock is sorted out and precious crystals are extracted from it.

The career opportunities are not endless - sooner or later, after reaching a certain depth, diamond reserves begin to dry up. This usually occurs at a depth of about 600 meters, but there are quarries 1.5 km deep, in which stones are still found.
It is more difficult to extract diamonds in mines, but only in this way new deposits can be discovered. Diamond caves exist in films and fantasy novels, in nature, stones are mined from ore.

Diamond deposits in Russia are located on the territory of Yakutia, but since there is a lot of water and permafrost, the extraction of stones is noticeably complicated.