::: WORLD'S LARGEST DIAMOND MINE :::
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The
Mir mine was the first and the largest diamond mine in the Soviet Union.
Its surface operation lasted 44 years, finally closing in June 2001.
After the collapse of the USSR in the 1990s, the mine was operated by
the Sakha diamond company, which reported annual profits in excess of
$600 million from diamond sales. Currently, the mine is operated by
Alrosa, the largest diamond producing company in Russia, and employs
3,600 workers.
It had long been anticipated that the recovery of
diamonds by conventional surface methods would saturate. Thus, in the
1970s, construction has started on a network of underground tunnels for
diamond recovery. Production of diamonds by this method started in 1999
and is estimated to last for another 27 years. This estimate is based on
depth explorations down to 1,220 meters. In order to stabilize the
abandoned main pit, its bottom was covered by a rubble layer 45 meters
thick.
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