Udachnaya pipe
Diamond mine in Sakha Republic, Russia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Udachnaya pipe (Russian: Уда́чная, IPA: [ʊˈdat͡ɕnəɪ̯ə]; lit. 'Lucky') 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.[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[update], 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]
