Rio Tinto has completed production at its Diavik diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories after 23 years of operations, the company announced. The mine produced more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds before exhausting its economic reserves.

The Diavik mine, discovered in 1991 beneath Lac de Gras approximately 220 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, began mining operations in 2003. The facility utilized both open pit and underground mining methods to extract predominantly white gem quality diamonds and a small proportion of yellow diamonds from four pipes.

"Forty years ago there were very few people who believed there were diamonds in Canada – even fewer could have foreseen how the Diavik story would unfold," said Sophie Bergeron, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium and Diamonds Managing Director.

Indigenous Government Organizations, government representatives and other stakeholders attended a celebration at the mine site marking the formal completion of production operations.

Rio Tinto has been planning for the mine's closure since before production began, with closure activities scheduled to extend through 2029, followed by post-closure monitoring. The closure plan addresses safety, land use, landforms, water, biodiversity, community capacity and resource development.

The final production of Diavik rough diamonds will be processed and sold through Rio Tinto's international customer network, including its Select Diamantaires, through 2026 and beyond, according to the press release.

The mine's closure represents the end of operations at one of Canada's diamond mining facilities in the remote northern territory.