De Beers recovers diamonds from Nunavut pipe

The newly discovered Knife kimberlite pipe, at Rhonda Mining‘s (RDM-V) Epworth property, 75 km south of Coronation Gulf in Nunavut, has been confirmed as diamondiferous.

A 75-kg sample, representing a 25-metre kimberlite section of drill core from the discovery hole, returned 6 macrodiamonds and 92 micros. Included in the initial results was a 20-kg sample, which yielded 54 stones, including two 1 mm macros.

De Beers Canada Exploration (formerly Monopros), a division of De Beers Consolidated Mines (dbrsy-q), made the discovery last spring while drill-testing a geophysical anomaly. The target was tested with an initial three holes. The first two holes were drilled from the same ice pad. The first hole was inclined 65 to the northwest and intersected 150 metres of kimberlite starting from surface. The second hole was drilled 65 to the southeast and hit 225 metres of kimberlite.

A third hole stepped out 225 metres to the southeast and was aimed 55 to the northwest. It pulled 80 metres of kimberlite, starting at a down-hole depth of 25 metres.

The kimberlite displays textures suggesting different phases of emplacement.

De Beers Canada Exploration can earn a 70% interest in the 10.2-sq.-km property by spending $10 million on exploration.