Stripping operations on Karpinskogo-1 and preparations of the ore body for mining commenced in 2009.
The Karpinskoog-1 pipe is estimated to produce 0.6 million tons of ore this year, and increase to two million tons from 2015. Large-scale ore processing is scheduled to commence in the next year.
Severalmaz plans to refine samples of ore in a test mode in order to approve diamonds grade and adjust processing technology.
Comprising six kimberlite pipes, the Lomonosov deposit is said to host 126 million tons of ore reserves under the JORC standards and the Karpinskogo-1 pipe is said to comprise 31 million tons of ore with over 33 million carats of diamonds.
In March, Severalmaz commissioned the second processing plant increasing its ore processing capacity to four million tons.
Alrosa expects to produce 36 million carats of diamonds this year, and increase production to 41 million carats by 2021.
