Ashton adds a Renard

Ashton Mining of Canada (ACA-T) reports the discovery of another kimberlite body on the Foxtrot property in the Otish Mountains region.

The body is the seventh found on the property by Ashton and equal partner Soquem, a Quebec Crown corporation. Dubbed Renard 7, the body lies 1.3 km north of the diamondiferous Renard 2 pipe. A vertical hole, sunk to test a geophysical anomaly, cut kimberlitic rock after passing through 18.5 metres of overburden. The hole was terminated in kimberlite. A second hole is currently being sunk.

Planned too are several holes to test at least two other geophysical targets. The holes are part of a program designed to define the Renard 2, 3 and 4 pipes. The partners intend to collect a 4-tonne, mini-bulk sample from drill holes on each of Renard 3 and 4, and will return to Renard 2 to collect 1 tonne of kimberlite from two planned drill holes. In the winter of 2003, Ashton will drill for a mini-bulk sample from Renard 5, which is beneath a small lake.

So far, Renard 1 through 6 have all returned both macrodiamonds (defined here as exceeding 0.5 mm in at least one dimension) and micros. In July, Renard 3 surrendered eight macros and 11 micros from a 54.6-kg sample. The largest is a 0.13-carat, colourless, whole crystal measuring 4 by 2.7 by 1.9 mm.