International News
Angola aims to increase annual production to 17.53m carats by 2027; become the world’s third largest rough producer.
Angola aims to increase annual diamond production to 17.53m carats by 2027, and to become the world’s third largest rough producer.It is forecasting a 50 per cent increase in diamond revenue this year from $1.4bn in 2024 to $2.1bn.
Angola has vast mineral wealth – including huge, unexplored diamond reserves – but the devastating civil war (1975 to 2002) has hampered its economic development.However, De Beers and Rio Tinto are now prospecting, and in November 2023 the new Luele (formerly known as Luaxe) mine opened. It will eclipse Catoca as the country’s biggest mine, and is expected to produce 6m carats annually.
As part of its National Development Plan 2023-2027, Angola plans to channel diamond mining revenues into food security, employment generation, and poverty reduction.It recovered 9.8m carats in 2023, maintaining its position as the world’s sixth biggest rough producer and was expected to produce up to 14.6 million carats in 2024.
DiamondBuzz
Rio Tinto’s Diamond Division Posts $79 Million EBITDA Loss in 2025
Higher output from Canada’s Diavik Diamond Mine offsets revenue decline, but end-of-life pressures continue to weigh on performance.
Rio Tinto reported a challenging year for its diamond business in 2025, posting an underlying EBITDA loss of $79 million despite improved revenues. While the loss narrowed compared to the $115 million deficit recorded in 2024, the division remained under pressure amid a global diamond market slowdown and the nearing closure of its last active mine.
Annual revenue rose 19% to $332 million, supported by stronger production at the Diavik mine in Canada, Rio Tinto’s only remaining diamond operation. Output climbed 61% to 4.4 million carats, driven by the ramp-up of mining activities in the underground section of the A21 deposit, which began scaling up in late 2024.
However, the A21 underground ore body is expected to be depleted by the end of the first quarter of 2026, marking the end of Diavik’s operational life. The company plans to spend approximately $1 billion this year on closure activities related to Diavik, as well as rehabilitation work at the former Argyle Diamond Mine, which ceased production in 2020, and other non-diamond projects.
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