Key points
- Diamond Fields International sold 4,333 carats on April 3, 2003, at an average price of $147.67 per carat for a total of $639,812.
- The tender sale was conducted in Antwerp, Belgium, through Diamond Tenders (Belgium) NV.
- The mining vessel M.V. Anya is in dry dock for maintenance, with mining expected to resume on or about April 18, 2003.
- The mining vessel M.V. Lady S is expected to complete its routine maintenance and return to mining DFI’s marine diamond concession later this month.
Diamond Fields International (DFI) sold 4,333 carats on April 3, 2003, at an average price of $147.67 (U.S.) per carat for a total price of $639,812 (U.S.). This average price exceeds the company’s two preceding diamond sales this year and once again indicates the quality of DFI’s marine diamond resource. The tender sale was conducted in Antwerp, Belgium, through Diamond Tenders (Belgium) NV.
Jean-Raymond Boulle, chairman and chief executive officer, stated: “I am pleased with recent diamond production levels as well as the latest sales result. We anticipate that the company will have a positive operating margin during the most recent quarter ended March 31, 2003, and we are currently studying various opportunities to further improve our margins.”
Roger Daniel, director of operations for DFI, stated: “The mining vessel M.V. Anya is currently in dry dock for routine maintenance to the mining system and for its scheduled class society inspection. The purpose of this maintenance will be the improved availability of the twin airlift mining system, which would forseeably result in an increase in the daily mining rate and improved recovery levels. Mining is expected to resume on or about April 18, 2003. We also expect the mining vessel, M.V. Lady S, to have completed its routine maintenance work and to be returning to mine DFI’s marine diamond concession later this month.”
