The Mir diamond quarry, also known in the scientific world as the Mir kimberlite pipe, is a giant quarry located in Yakutia, in the city of Mirny.
The giant diamond quarry in the city of Mirny
The depth of 525 meters and the diameter of 1200 m made it one of the largest quarries in the world.
Giant diamond quarry, Mirny
Giant diamond quarry in the city of Mirny, top view
The quarry began to be developed in 1957, diamond mining was carried out in it for 44 years. In 2001, the extraction of diamondiferous kimberlite ore was stopped here and the quarry has since been mothballed.
Giant diamond quarry in the city of Mirny in winter
A giant diamond quarry in the city of Mirny, Russia
Currently, ALROSA is building an underground mine in the quarry to extract the remaining underground reserves, since their extraction by open pit is unprofitable.
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Quarry in the city of Mirny
Near the quarry is the village of Mirny, which became the main center of the diamond mining industry of the USSR.
A huge diamond quarry in the city of Mirny
By the way, the largest diamond found on the territory of our country was mined here in December 1980. Its weight is 342.5 carats (more than 68 g). And for all the years of open-pit mining, according to unofficial data, diamonds worth 17 billion USD were mined from this deposit, about 350 million cubic meters were exported. meters of rock.
Giant diamond quarry in Mirny
The Mir quarry has grown so much that in the last years of its operation, trucks “winded” in a spiral almost 8 km from its bottom to the surface.
Diamond quarry in the city of Mirny
