Canadian diamond producer Lucara Diamonds has announced that it expects to sell 400,000 carats in 2013, which would be the first year of full production from the company's flagship Karowe mine in north-central Botswana.

In a statement released on Thursday, Lucara's President William Lamb revealed that eight sales are planned for next year, with viewings in both Gaborone and Antwerp.

The company expects to make sustaining operational capital expenditures of about 3 million U.S. dollars.

"The current year was a successful and rewarding year for Lucara as it's transitioned from a developing company into a production company by completing construction of the Karowe mine on schedule and on budget, and ramping up to full capacity within four months," Lamb said.

He continued that by the end of the first year of production, Lucara will have sold over 230,000 carat of diamonds, including a rare 9.46 carat blue diamond, which achieved a record price of over 477,000 dollars per carat.

"We are focused on continuing to build on the operational performance achieved in 2012 with sales expected to increase by almost 75 percent in 2013 and operating costs targets in line with the company's feasibility study," he said.

The Karowe Mine began production in August. It is the 5th diamond mine in operation in Botswana, with mine life expected to be more than 15 years and reserves ranging from 8.2 million carats to 6.3 million carats.

Botswana is the world's largest producer of diamonds by value. Diamond mining in the country has long been controlled by Debswana Diamond Company, a joint venture between Botswana government and De Beers, who is one of the world's largest diamond miner, and owns the other four diamond mines in operation in Botswana, producing more than 20 million carats every year. Endi

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