Russian diamond giant ALROSA has announced the official start of development work at the Karpinsky-2 kimberlite pipe, located within the M.V. Lomonosov diamond field in the Arkhangelsk region. The project marks the launch of the third active pipe at the site, alongside Arkhangelsk and Karpinsky-1.
The Karpinsky-2 pipe, which holds over 40 million tonnes of diamond-bearing ore, was first validated through pilot mining in 2018. Following confirmation of its commercial viability, ALROSA began preparations for full-scale mining operations earlier this year. The company’s CEO, Pavel Marinychev, formally initiated the design phase during a recent review visit to Severalmaz, ALROSA’s regional subsidiary.
During his visit, Marinychev also assessed Severalmaz’s operational performance for the first five months of 2025. The company surpassed its ore extraction targets, improved maintenance turnaround, and achieved a 9.4% increase in ore processing, resulting in the recovery of over 1.2 million carats of rough diamonds.
The CEO also reviewed progress on a key water recycling initiative at the Lomonosov processing facility and called for the timely completion of a worker gymnasium at the on-site shift village, aiming to improve employee welfare and living conditions.
ALROSA continues to assert its position as the world’s leading diamond producer, accounting for 30% of global and 90% of Russian diamond output. The group recorded 33 million carats in production in 2024 and maintains diamond reserves exceeding 1 billion carats.
The development of Karpinsky-2 is expected to further bolster ALROSA’s production capabilities while supporting regional economic growth and infrastructure development in Arkhangelsk.