Harry Winston Diamond Corp. says the 2012 production target for the Diavik mine has been reduced to 7.4 million carats as the operation shifts its efforts to concentrate on processing higher-valued diamonds. The 2012 production target for Diavik had been eight million carats. The Toronto-based company, which has a 40 per cent ownership stake in the mine, says the lower volume will result from a delay in processing of lower-value carats. It says the mine produced 1.93 million carats in the third quarter, the same as last year, but with less ore processed due to a shift to underground mining with higher-valued carats. The mine's majority owner is Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto PLC, which has a 60 per cent stake in Diavik.
