Stornoway Commences Principal Concrete Pour at Renard Diamond Project Process Plant

Stornoway Diamond Corporation is pleased to announce that it has commenced the principal concrete pour at the Renard Diamond Project process plant.

Construction of the 2.2mtonne per annum diamond plant represents the project's critical path activity. Today's important milestone has been achieved on schedule despite below-average temperatures this winter at the project site.

Specialized concrete work for the plant's foundations is expected to continue through the spring and early summer before the erection of structural steel begins in June. The plant building is scheduled to be completed and heated by the fourth quarter of this year, allowing the installation of the temperature sensitive crushing and recovery circuits through the first half of 2016. The plant is scheduled to be energized in the second half of 2016 with wet commissioning beginning in the fourth quarter of that year. A 10 month commissioning ramp-up is planned, with a view to commercial production being achieved in the second quarter of 2017 and full production by the summer of 2017.

As of March 31, 2015 plant engineering work stood at 49% complete with procurement on major items well advanced. The engineering and field support services relating to the plant and its diamond recovery circuits are being undertaken by DRA Americas Inc. and AMEC Americas Ltd. under the coordination of SNC Lavalin Inc. The Renard diamond plant's face-plate capacity of 2.2mtonnes per annum is based on a 78% overall plant utilization, and the flow sheet design incorporates a Large Diamond Recovery capacity of up to 45mm (equivalent to a 600 carat round octahedral stone).