DIAMONDS – North Arrow Minerals Inc. Feb. 1 reported an agreement with Dr. Chris Jennings to jointly explore its Lac de Gras diamond property. The Lac de Gras property is located within the prolific Lac de Gras diamondiferous kimberlite field in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The property directly adjoins the mineral leases that host the Diavik diamond mine, located 10 kilometers, or 5 miles, to the north and the Ekati diamond mine is located less than 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, to the northwest. The kimberlites of the Diavik and Ekati diamond mines represent some of the richest diamond deposits in the world. Under the terms of the agreement, Jennings can earn a 70 percent interest in the Lac de Gras property by paying the full legal survey costs required to convert existing mineral claims to mining leases; paying the first year’s rental fees for the mining leases; and conducting a review of existing geophysical magnetic data using a proprietary processing technique. Subsequent exploration of the Lac de Gras property will be carried out based upon a 70 percent-30 percent (Jennings-North Arrow) joint venture. A comprehensive review of detailed high-resolution helicopter-borne total field magnetic data has been carried out by Jennings using a proprietary processing technique. The data review has outlined numerous untested geophysical targets with characteristic kimberlite signatures. Some of these targets lie along the projected southern extensions of both the Ekati and Diavik Mine kimberlite trends. This same processing technique has been used on geophysical data collected outside of, but proximal to, the Lac de Gras property and in 2008 resulted in the discovery of diamondiferous kimberlites. An exploration program for the Lac de Gras property is planned for 2010. “In November 1991, Gren Thomas and I left Yellowknife to start the staking of what is now the Diavik Diamond Mine,” Jennings said. “I’m delighted to be working with Gren once again.”
REMEDIATION – Martin Gavin, manager of the Giant Mine Remediation Project for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, has asked to meet with the Chief and Council of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in February to discuss and create a plan to identify and incorporate the YKDFN’s concerns into the Developer’s Assessment Report for the Giant Mine Remediation environmental assessment process and to discuss formation of a plan that would outline how the Giant Mine Remediation Team will continue to consult and engage with the First Nation throughout the rest of the environmental assessment process, as well as throughout the life of the remediation project. In a Jan. 19 letter, Gavin said the agency’s initial proposal would be to hold and fund two community meetings this winter-spring (one in each YKDFN community) that could include elders, land users and youth to help formulate the group’s response to INAC’s questions, and another meeting with the chief and council to finalize the first phase, hopefully by Feb. 26, 2010. “The Giant Mine Remediation Team recognizes that discussing these options at our proposed February meeting would only be a first step toward developing a plan for ongoing consultation and engagement. We anticipate that these discussions to develop a longer-term plan would continue after the DAR is submitted to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board and we look forward to working with you on these initiatives,” Gavin added.
The Giant Mine Remediation Project involves the future disposition of the 237,000 metric tons of arsenic trioxide currently stored underground at a site within the city limits of Yellowknife, the largest city in the Northwest Territories. The hazardous substance was abandoned when mine owner Royal Oak Mines went bankrupt in 1999.
In order to prepare a remediation plan for the Giant Mine, INAC and the Government of Northwest Territories spent eight years doing research and engineering work to develop a viable approach. INAC has undertaken a study of freeze optimization technology in hopes of freezing solid the arsenic trioxide dust in 15 sealed underground chambers at the former Giant Mine to create a “frozen block” barrier to prevent any seepage of toxic material from the chambers.
Various individuals and groups, including the City of Yellowknife, have requested independent oversight of the project, after raising concerns about the credibility of the team working on the reclamation effort.
DIAMONDS – Darnley Bay Resources Ltd. Feb. 1 said it has been issued 16 prospecting permits by the Mining Recorder’s Office in Yellowknife, NWT. The prospecting permits are located within the Inuvialuit 7(1)(b) lands south of Paulatuk, Nwt., and neighboring Crown Lands. They cover an area of about 2,421 square kilometers, or 598,300 acres. As a result, the company now holds a total of 4,557 square kilometers, or 1,126,100 acres, including its concession for 7(1)(a) lands and older prospecting permits. In addition, the company holds mineral claims on the Parry Peninsula northwest of Paulatuk. Darnley Bay said the two main objectives for acquiring the new permits are to secure all remaining lands available for mineral exploration over the Darnley Bay gravity and magnetic anomaly, and to gain access to the region’s open areas of greatest diamond exploration potential based on previous indicator mineral sampling carried out by the company. The junior also said it completed the environmental screening process and is awaiting permits necessary to begin its winter exploration program. That program will consist of an airborne gravity survey over the core of the Darnley Bay gravity anomaly, which will significantly improve the resolution of the current gravity data and locate drill targets; and an airborne electromagnetic survey over the eastern portion of the Darnley Bay gravity anomaly, which will locate conductive material that will be assessed as drill targets for metals. The company also has the option to infill with ground gravity to further improve resolution.
