Partners confirm Renard 2 potential

The latest, 2.5-tonne sample from the Renard 2 pipe on the Foxtrot property in the Otish Mountains region of Quebec has yielded 1.62 carats of diamonds greater than 0.85 mm in diameter.

According to equal partners Ashton Mining of Canada (ACA-T) and Quebec government-owned Soquem, the results translate into an estimated diamond content of 0.65 carat per tonne.

The five largest diamonds ranged from 0.1 to 0.38 carat in size.

Of the total carat weight recovered, 1.17 carats were collected from 434 kg of hypabyssal material from 2-to-6-metre-long intersections from three drill holes.

In early 2002, an initial, 2.4-tonne mini-bulk sample from Renard 2 returned a diamond content of 0.69 carat per tonne. The five largest stones from that sample ranged from 0.1 to 0.16 carat.

So far, nine holes have tested Renard 2, and these suggest a minimum surface area of 65 by 120 metres.

The partners plan to carry out additional sampling and delineation drilling on Renard 2 and the other Renard kimberlitic bodies.

Renard 2 is one of eight small kimberlitic bodies occurring within a 2-km diameter on the Foxtrot property.