The company expects to undertake stripping operations at Botuobinskaya for the next three years, with commercial diamond mining projected to commence after September 2015.
Botuobinskaya will be developed into an open pit and the ore generated will be processed at the existing Nyurba GOK mining and concentrating mill.
The mine is estimated to produce 1.5 million carats of diamonds every year at its maximum annual capacity of 300,000 tonnes of ore.
At a grade of 5.13 carats a ton, Botuobinskaya hosts reserves of more than 70 million carats featuring diamonds with high gem-quality.
Botuobinskaya is located 3 km from the currently producing Nyurbinskaya Diamond Pipe within the Nakyn Ore Field.
Once the development at the new deposit is completed, the company will compensate for the decreasing ore production at Nyurbinskaya.
