RioZim’s Murowa Diamond Production Declines Despite Early Gains in 2023
Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed RioZim‘s diamond operation, RZM Murowa, reported a 3% decrease in production for the full year ending 2023, with output falling from 426,000 carats in 2022 to 414,000 carats in 2023.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
Despite this annual decline, the first half of 2023 showed a significant 84% increase in production, attributed to the newly commissioned 500 TPH plant, which boosted diamond output from 115,000 carats in the first half of 2022 to 212,000 carats in the corresponding period of 2023. However, challenges faced during the first quarter impacted the overall annual performance.
RZM Murowa’s efforts to maintain profitability have been supported by processing low-grade stockpiles and expanding exploration activities to extend the life of its pits. The company’s increased throughput and plant capacity have been critical to these operations, helping Murowa achieve a 20% production increase in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
RZM Murowa, which began operations in 2004, is a medium-scale diamond mine with a nameplate capacity of around 1.2 million carats annually. The mine is known for producing predominantly white, gem-quality diamonds, including large “special” stones.
At Murowa, a truck and backhoe method is used to extract ore from the three open pits. The waste is drilled, blasted, and trucked away using dump trucks. This leaves the ore available for extraction, which is then crushed, processed, and pumped to the final recovery plant.