Australia’s Lucapa Diamonds expects to be elevated to mid-tier diamond producer status in 2024, when its newly acquired Merlin project, in the Northern Territory, starts producing on a commercial basis.

Merlin, which Lucapa expects will be the biggest commercial diamond mine in Australia, will deliver 2.1-million carats over its 14-year mine life, or about 153 000 ct/y, the company said on Friday, announcing the outcomes of a scoping study.