Work on Lucara Diamond's AK6 diamond mine in Botwsana is nearing completion and the trial mining program at the Mothae diamond mine in Lesotho will soon be moving into the pre-feasibility stage, the company said Monday in an operations update.

Construction on the AK6 diamond mine was 84% complete at the end of the third quarter and remains within the initial capital budget, Lucara reports. Meanwhile, diamond sorting, sales, and marketing offices have been arranged in Gaborone.

Sampling results at the Mothae mining project continued to return above average results, and Lucara plans to sell a parcel of rough diamonds from Mothae in December 2011.

William Lamb, president and CEO, noted that both the Mothae and AK6 diamond projects had produced “extremely high quality diamonds – not only valuable gem quality but large sizes, as well.”

Lucara has decided not to renew its license to explore for diamonds at the Kavango Project in eastern Namibia.