Australian mining company Newfield Resources is on track to bring in a new partner for its Tongo diamond deposit in Sierra Leone. Newfield has entered into a non-binding term sheet with ACA Resources, another Australian-based miner, to oversee the mine’s operations.

If the deal is finalized before June, ACA will assume control of all mining activities at Tongo, charging Newfield a fee per carat of diamonds produced. Both companies are committed to making the Tongo mine a long-term, sustainable producer of high-quality diamonds in Sierra Leone.

Newfield acquired the Tongo mine in March 2018 for $23.6 million through its purchase of London-based Stellar Diamonds. Prior to Newfield’s acquisition, the mine was owned by Israeli businessman Beny Steinmetz, through Koidu Holdings, where he held a controlling stake.

In May 2022, the first diamond sales from Tongo, totaling 5,200 carats, earned an average price of $262 per carat. Since then, Newfield has invested $80 million into the mine, including the construction of 2 kilometers of underground infrastructure. The mine is expected to have an eight-year life, with peak annual diamond production estimated at 260,000 carats by the fifth year of operations.