Band-Ore in Canadian diamond hunt

Toronto-based junior Band-Ore Resources (BAN-T) has launched airborne geophysical surveys at two of its diamond exploration properties in eastern Canada.

At the 25-sq.-km GQ diamond property in Musquash Twp., 15 km north of Wawa, Ont., Band-Ore has begun a helicopter magnetic survey, using a 50-metre line spacing.

Band-Ore is acquiring the property from three prospectors who discovered, in January 2000, 10 macrodiamonds and 35 microdiamonds within a 63-kg sample. A duplicate 55-kg sample taken by Band-Ore yielded 98 micros. Most of the diamonds recovered to date are described as being white, clear and transparent.

For the property, Band-Ore agreed to pay $1.2 million over three years and issue 2 million Band-Ore shares, 1.5 milion of which were issued when the deal was closed in early March.

The current program is aimed at defining up to 10 bull’s-eye magnetic anomalies outlined in a previous government airborne survey. Stripping, mapping and sampling of two diamond-bearing outcrops and other anomalies will follow.

The airborne surveys will also cover other magnetic anomalies and dyke structures on neighbouring properties that are being drilled by Canabrava Diamond (CNB-V), Navigator Exploration (NVR-A) and Kennecott Canada Exploration, a unit of London-based Rio Tinto (RTP-N).

Meanwhile in northernmost Quebec, Band-Ore and equal partner Southern Africa Minerals (SAF-T) are set to begin a fixed-wing magnetic survey on the 89-sq.-km Torngat South diamond property, 10 km southeast of Twin Gold‘s (TWG-T) diamond-bearing dykes.

The partners’ upcoming work will follow up results from previous remote-sensing and airborne surveying that suggest that several structures crosscut the property’s geological horizons in a style similar to Twin Gold’s diamondiferous dykes.

The survey will also allow the partners to take a detailed look at circular magnetic anomalies identified on the property.

Band-Ore and Southern Africa are splitting the cost of the survey with Marum Resources (MMU-V) and Dumont Nickel (DNI-M), which are exploring nearby properties.