Australia’s Merlin Diamonds advises that a Tomra X-Ray Transmission Machine has been delivered to the minesite and will be commissioned in December 2017. By using this new sorting technology, it is expected that larger diamonds will be recovered than previously possible, as well as recovering low luminescing diamonds. It replaces the conventional concentrator and detects all diamonds including coated and low-luminescent as well as preventing the crushing of larger diamonds. The Ector kimberlite pipe will be processed using the Tomra XRT machine initially due to its high proportion of large diamonds.
The Merlin kimberlite field was discovered by Ashton Mining Ltd after systematic exploration between 1991 and 1994. After periods of trial mining and feasibility studies Ashton Mining Ltd was taken over by Rio Tinto Pty Ltd.
Merlin did not fit into the asset portfolio of Rio Tinto and subsequently the Merlin mine was acquired by North Australian Diamonds Ltd in 2004. Since that time resource definition drilling and trial production increased the known JORC Code compliant Resource of diamonds to be the second largest in Australia, surpassed only by the Argyle diamond mine.
Under the leadership of Joseph Gutnick, feasibility studies examining options to enable near term production at Merlin were commissioned, including into the application of borehole mining as a means to reduce costs associated with overburden stripping required for open cut mining, and related capital costs. As a result of these studies, the company applied for and was granted a MMP which enabled it to recommence diamond production in 2013.