Calling this "exceptionally rare" case, on July 15, geologists of Kennady Diamonds TSXV: KDI discovered a large diamond during the registration of the core from Faraday 2 kimberlite. This was the second such finding on the Kennady North project for the year and probably was not important for making a prediction that this tube does contain diamonds. But for all that, this event makes one remember a dramatic event from the Canadian diamond history.
This happened in the area of Lake Lac de Gra in the Northwest Territories in the late winter of 1994. As narrated in the book "Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair," written by Matthew Hart, 24-year-old Eira Thomas (Eira Thomas) directed the project of Aber Resources, and her Father Gren (Gren) Thomas conducted negotiations on the merger in the south of the country. Eyra feared that the deal would not end in favor of Aber, despite the laboratory discovery of small diamonds on the A-21 kimberlite on this site.
Disagreeing with a partner from such a large company as Rio Tinto NYE: RIO, the young geologist believed that she was on the threshold of a larger discovery at the A-154. When the ice on the lake began to melt, Thomas not only persuaded the group to continue drilling from the barge, but also persuaded them to drill from a heavier platform of larger diameter. Just when the less hardened ice finally made the drillers stop work, Robin Hopkins, a geologist from Aber, discovered a kimberlite with indicator minerals. Workers from Aber and Rio, called by phone, arrived at the camp of geologists.
When they gathered in the core storage, Hopkins pointed to something protruding from the core. Hart writes:
"Hopkins tried to scratch the crystal with his thumbnail, but he could not. When he looked, he saw that Thomas was watching him intently. "It does not work out," he said quietly. He passed the core with a crystal Buddy Doyle from Rio Tinto. Doyle stared at him: "Wow," he said and gave it to Thomas. She took the core and looked at it - a two-carat diamond that radiated light from the crystal face.
This dramatic moment is an omen of Diavik, the second largest diamond mine in Canada and the successor of Ekati, which is the result of an adventure character warehouse, as well as the geological insight of Chuck Fipke. Currently, three mines operate in the Lac de Graz region, and the Northwest Territories occupy the third place in the world in terms of diamond production in terms of cost.
Meanwhile, the life of the Ekati mine, the controlling stake in the Dominion Diamond TSX: DDC, is ending in 2020. Its Jay deposit can potentially extend its life to 2031, according to the company. Dayavik, owned by Rio and Dominion in the ratio of 60/40, will last until 2023, even if the fourth tube A-21, which Thomas opened up to the tube A-154, was added.
Snap Lake, the first De Beers mine outside Africa, can work until 2028, although production will fall. Earlier this year, the company warned of the possibility of much earlier closure, unless a revised water use license was approved. Last month, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board recommended that the territorial government issue a permit for the planned descent of most of the dissolved solids into the water discharged into the lake.
De Beers also produces Canadian diamonds at its Victor mine in the valleys of James Bay in Ontario. This discovery dates back to the year 1987, almost five years before the historical discovery of Fipke. But the mine in Ontario was not opened until 2008.
As these four mines develop, Stornoway Diamond TSX: SWY plans to fill the underload with Renard's projects in the James Bay area of Quebec. According to company estimates, taking into account the beginning of industrial production, scheduled for the second quarter of 2017, Renard will give up to 1.6 million carats per year for 11 years, which is approximately 2% of the global supply.
Back to the projects in the Lake of Lac de Gra, work on the world's richest diamond development project continues. Last week, Mountain Province Diamonds TSX: MPV announced that the construction of the Gahcho Kué mine was 62% completed and is on schedule, according to which the end is scheduled for the second half of 2016. Companies Mountain Province, Also headed by Patrick Evans, President / CEO of Kennady, owns a 49 percent stake in the project, which is managed by partner De Beers for the joint venture. It is expected that an average of 4.5 million carats per year will be produced over a 12-year period.
It is not surprising that geological exploration work is actively conducted in the Lac de Graz region. The Kennadi North mine, located in the neighborhood of the Gakhcho-Kew, remains the most modern. On July 15, the same day that the diamond from the Faraday-2 project lit up in the Kennadi Core Depository, the company reported the results of a laboratory discovery on the Spring Drilling program at Faraday 2. About 930 kg of kimberlite showed a sample content of 1.93 carats per ton of ore Diamonds of industrial size.
Of the 247 individual diamonds described by the laboratory, 37% were clear and white / colorless, and 56% were white with shades of other colors. Considering that 97% of the samples were white or white hued gemstones, the results could "have a positive impact on the value of diamonds," Evans said.
By the end of the third quarter, the company expects results on the content of diamonds for the 436-ton gross sample from Kelvin kimberlite (Kelvin). Results for a sample weighing 2.6 tons in southern Kelvin should be received in early September.
http://resourceclips.com/2015/07/17/the-drama-of-discovery/
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