February 15, 2005
Bloomberg interview with Chairman Anthony Williams
By Simon Casey
Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) -- European Diamonds Plc. plans to start recovering its first gems at a mine in Lesotho, southern Africa, sometime next quarter, Chairman Anthony Williams said.
The London based company is completing construction of the Satellite Pipe mine, which will produce about 290,000 carats of diamonds per year, Williams said in a telephone interview. "It is the first stage of what we confidently predict will be a major mining operation in Lesotho," Williams said.
European Diamonds will supply diamonds to a market in which demand is estimated to be outpacing production. Prices for so called rough diamonds, sold on to jewellers for polishing and cutting, have gained 40 percent in the past two years because of surging sales of rings and necklaces.
The company is also exploring the northwest of Finland for kimberlites, volcanic rock formations which contain economically recoverable quantities of diamonds.
"We've yet to discover an economic kimberlite," Williams said. "All the exploration guidelines are that we will find economic kimberlites in that area."
The company is carrying out a sampling of rock taken from its Lathojoki site in central Finland "early in 2005," Williams said. It also plans to complete in 2005 a study of a site adjacent to Satellite Pipe that's six times larger.
European Diamonds lost $1.6million in the year ended June 30. The company won't break even this fiscal year, Williams said. Shares in the company dropped 1.5 pence, or 3.2 pence in the past year, valuing the company at 19 million pounds ($36 million).
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For further information please contact:
Tony Williams - Chairman
European Diamonds PLC
22 Grosvenor Square
London, W1K 6LF
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7436 7486
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7631 1444
e-mail: enquiries@europeandiamondsplc.com
website: www.europeandiamondsplc.com
Allan Piper
First City Financial Limited
32 Percy Street
London W1T 2DE
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7529 7502
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7491 2244
e-mail: mailbox@firstcitypr.com