Mining News: Northern Neighbors: Kelvin North sample returns good diamonds

Kennady Diamonds Inc. June 22 reported diamond recovery results from a 2.7-metric-ton sample of kimberlite from the 2015 winter drill program at the Kelvin North Lobe of its Kennady North project in Northwest Territories. The sample, which was processed at the Geoanalytical Laboratories Diamond Services of the Saskatchewan Research Council, averaged 2.74 carats of commercial-size diamonds per metric ton. Kennady Diamonds CEO Patrick Evans said, “Based on drilling and sampling completed to date, we estimate that the Kelvin-Faraday kimberlite cluster has the potential to host between 12 million and 15 million metric tons at a grade of between 2 carats per metric ton and 2.5 cpt.” The three largest diamonds recovered from the Kelvin North Lobe sample are described as: 0.47 carat off-white, transparent, fragment with inclusions; 0.39 carat off-white, transparent, broken tetra-hexahedron with inclusions; and 0.25 carat white/colorless, transparent, broken macle with minor inclusions. Evans said, “It’s apparent that the larger diamonds in the sample were broken during the drilling. Nonetheless, the diamonds are of a high quality.” A total of 662 individual diamonds from the above sample were described by the SRC. Ninety-five percent are described as white/colorless (36 percent) and off-white (59 percent). Fourteen diamonds are described as yellow, 12 as brown and four as gray. A roughly one metric ton sample of kimberlite from Faraday 2 is now being processed at the SRC and the diamond recovery results from this sample are expected in early July. Results from a 436-metric-ton bulk sample of Kelvin kimberlite is expected before the end of the third quarter.

- Shane Lasley