Moscow: Russian mining company Alrosa has issued a production and preliminary trading performance report for the fourth quarter and full year of 2015.

The results show diamond production for the year totaled 38.3 million carats, up 6 percent compared with 2014, and in line with the 2015 guidance. The increase in production is attributed to commissioning of the Botuobinskaya pipe in Q1 2015, diamond output growth at Karpinskogo-1 pipe of the Lomonosov deposit (Severalmaz), and growth in diamond production at the Mir and Udachny underground mines.

Alrosa reports an estimated 30 million carats of diamonds sold in 2015 – significantly lower than the guidance of 40 million carats issued by the company at the beginning of 2015.  Revenue from rough diamond sales for the period is estimated at US$3.4 billion, down from US$4.9 billion in 2014, reflecting both lower volumes of diamond sales and the rough diamond price reductions made by Alrosa during the year.

For Q4 2015, Alrosa reports 7.1 million carats of diamonds sold, including 4.1 million carats of gem-quality diamonds at an average price of US$166 per carat and 3 million carats of industrial diamonds at an average price of US$10 per carat.