BlueRock Diamonds PLC said it had halted operations at its Kareevlei diamond mine in Kimberley, South Africa, after being served with a Section 54 notice by the Department of Mines (DMRE).
The notice followed a visit to the mine on 9 November and was served on 11 November following a deemed safety breach.
Operations at the mine have been stopped pending resolution of the issues identified by the DMRE, which BlueRock said had visited the operation regularly with no previous suggestion of this outcome.
In a statement, BlueRock said management is working closely with the DMRE to resolve the issues raised and hopes to restart processing in the near future.
The shutdown is not currently expected to alter the guidance for the year ended 31 December 2021 of between 22,000 and 26,000 carats produced, the statement added.