) The Udachnaya pipe | |
)  Udachnaya pipe Location in Russia | |
| Coordinates | 66°26′N 112°19′E / 66.433°N 112.317°E |
|---|---|
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds |
| Owner | |
| Company | Alrosa |
The Udachnaya pipe (Russian: тру́бка Уда́чная, literally lucky pipe) is a diamond deposit in the Daldyn-Alakit kimberlite field in Sakha Republic, Russia.[1] It is an open-pit mine,[2] and is located just outside the Arctic circle at 66°26′N 112°19′E / 66.433°N 112.317°E.[3]
History
Udachnaya was discovered on 15 June 1955, just two days after the discovery of the diamond pipe Mir by Soviet geologist Vladimir Shchukin and his team.[4] It is about 640 metres (2,100 ft) deep, making it the third deepest open-pit mine in the world (after Bingham Canyon Mine and Chuquicamata).[4]
The nearby settlement of Udachny is named for the deposit.
As of 2010, Udachnaya pipe is controlled by Russian diamond company Alrosa, which planned to halt open-pit mining in favor of underground mining in 2010.[2]
The mine has estimated reserves of 225.8 million carats (45.16 t) of diamonds and an annual production capacity of 10.4 million carats (2.08 t).[5]
See also
References
- ^ Barthelmy, David. "Amakinite Mineral Data". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ^ a b "Meeting of ALROSA Supervisory Board". Alrosa. 2004-05-24. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ^ "Udachny town, Yakutia, established by Udachnaya Pipe in 1968". Moi gorod (in Russian). Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ^ a b М. Владимиров; Р.М. Лобацкая; Н.В.Воронцова; В.М.Усачев (2006). МИРОВОЙ РЫНОК ЮВЕЛИРНЫХ КАМНЕЙ (in Russian). Irkutsk: IrGTU. p. 107. Archived from the original on 2007-02-25. Retrieved 2006-12-31.
- ^ "Diamond deposits in the Sakha Republic". rough-polished.com. 25 June 2012.
External links
- Satellite photo of the Udachnaya pipe
- Alexeev, Sergey V; Alexander V. Drozdov; Tatyana I. Drozdova; Ludmila P. Alexeeva (2006-03-16). "The First Experience of Saline Drainage Waters Disposal from the Udachnaya Pipe Quarry into Permaforest". Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado at Boulder.