Jay pipe expansion at Ekati mine delayed, again

Expansion of onediamond mine in the Northwest Territories scheduledfor construction this yearhas beendelayed, again.

Dominion Diamond Mines, formerly Dominion Diamond Corporation,told CBCNewsit'sslowing down its Jay pipe project at Ekatimine.

In 2016, the company announced it planned to begin construction of the new Jay pipe at itsEkatimine in 2018, a year later than previously planned.

The new open pit, called Jay, wouldextend theEkatimine's life to 2033, the company previously said.

• 2 N.W.T. diamond mines face delays on expansion projects

A company official said in an email that work planned for this year has been put on hold, while the company studies how the project's profitability can be increased.

Dominion didn't say how this delay would affect the overall timeline for the Jay pipe, which was expected to begin production in 2021.

Dominion was bought by a U.S.-basedcompany in a deal finalized late last year.