Volatile gases conserved in diamonds found in ancient rocks indicate that the basic chemical composition of Earth’s atmosphere was laid down at least 2.7 billion years ago.

The mine, Ecuador's largest, delivered 108,799 ounces of gold in the three months to June 30, up from 104,137 ounces in the previous quarter.

Over 25-year life, mine expected to produce 842,000 tonnes of nickel, 21 million tonnes of iron and 1.5 million tonnes of chrome valued at $19bn.