De Beers Canada has cancelled its four-week December production  shutdown at the Snap Lake Diamond mine.

The news comes two weeks after Rio Tinto, majority owner of the  Diavik diamond mine, cancelled its own winter shutdown.

“We’ve met with all of our employees on site and in Yellowknife and  will continue to meet with employees coming back to site (on their  rotations),” said De Beers Canada spokesperson Cathie Bolstad. “We’re  working to accommodate any employees who had made plans to be off.”

After visiting with workers at the mine, Bolstad said, “I think  there’s a sense of relief, a relief in terms of they’re seeing positive  signs in the industry.”

Responding to a reduced demand for diamonds worldwide, De Beers shut  down Snap Lake from July 22 to August 26, with only 60 workers remaining  on site per rotation. The company also reduced its rate of production  to align with slumping demand.

Even with December production back on the schedule, the mine’s rate  of production is “still a curtailed production rate and significantly  below the mine’s capability, which is 1.5 million carats per year,” said  Bolstad.

In 2008, the mine, which officially began commercial production  halfway through the year, produced 926,000 carats, accounting for 6.9  per cent of diamonds produced in the NWT that year.

Bolstad could not provide a production estimate for 2009 as of press  time.

De Beers Canada has cancelled its four-week December production  shutdown at the Snap Lake Diamond mine.

The news comes two weeks after Rio Tinto, majority owner of the  Diavik diamond mine, cancelled its own winter shutdown.

“We’ve met with all of our employees on site and in Yellowknife and  will continue to meet with employees coming back to site (on their  rotations),” said De Beers Canada spokesperson Cathie Bolstad. “We’re  working to accommodate any employees who had made plans to be off.”

After visiting with workers at the mine, Bolstad said, “I think  there’s a sense of relief, a relief in terms of they’re seeing positive  signs in the industry.”

Responding to a reduced demand for diamonds worldwide, De Beers shut  down Snap Lake from July 22 to August 26, with only 60 workers remaining  on site per rotation. The company also reduced its rate of production  to align with slumping demand.

Even with December production back on the schedule, the mine’s rate  of production is “still a curtailed production rate and significantly  below the mine’s capability, which is 1.5 million carats per year,” said  Bolstad.

In 2008, the mine, which officially began commercial production  halfway through the year, produced 926,000 carats, accounting for 6.9  per cent of diamonds produced in the NWT that year.

Bolstad could not provide a production estimate for 2009 as of press  time.

Ref: <a href="http://www.nnsl.com">NNSL News site</a>