Band-Ore locates source of Area E

Band-Ore Resources (BAN-T) says it has found the bedrock source of the recently discovered, diamondiferous boulders in Area E on its GQ property, 20 km west of Wawa, Ont.

Earlier this year, 3 km northeast of the original diamond discovery at GQ, the company recovered 128 microdiamonds from a 16-kg sample from a diatreme boulder. Subsequent sampling in the area yielded a total of 5,045 microdiamonds and 65 macros in four samples (each weighing 24 kg). The boulders contain 20-40% xenolith fragments set in a fine-grained dark green matrix.

Recent geological mapping, prospecting and mechanical stripping have located a coarse-grained diatreme breccia in bedrock, 5 metres away from the frost-heaved boulder material.

Trenching has cut a xenolith-rich diatreme breccia across a 75-metre continuous outcrop exposure near the areas where previous samples were collected. A second trench, about 100 metres northwest of the first one, uncovered the diatreme breccia across a minimum width of 85 metres.

In Area E, scattered outcrop and angular frost-heaved boulder material indicate a minimum strike length of 300 metres and horizontal widths in excess of 75 metres. The zone strikes to the northwest and has a shallow dip to the northeast. Overburden in the area is typically less than 2 metres in thickness.

So far, 249.6 kg of samples from weathered outcrops and boulders of diatreme breccia in Area E have yielded 9094 microdiamonds and 141 macrodiamonds (a macro is defined as exceeding 0.5 mm in at least one dimension). Five of the macros have a dimension of at least 1 mm. The largest stone measured 1.94 mm by 1.54 mm by 1.16 mm and weighed 0.0226 carat.

The diamonds vary in colour, clarity and form and include broken fragments. The colours vary from clear to white, grey, pink and yellow.

Band-Ore plans to extract a 10-tonne, mini-bulk sample from Area E. Processing, by the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon, will target only macrodiamonds.

Band-Ore holds an additional 125 sq. km of nearby land.

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