GLOBAL SEARCH FOR DIAMONDS — Ashton, Pure Gold find more diamonds in Alberta

Operator Ashton Mining of Canada (ACA-T) and partner Pure Gold Resources (PUG-T) have received mixed results from drilling into kimberlite pipes at their Buffalo Hills project in north-central Alberta.

The best result is from pipe K14C, where hole 1 yielded 328 microdiamonds (defined as diamonds with one dimension greater than 0.1 mm but less than 0.5 mm) and 93 macrodiamonds from a 43.4 kg sample taken from 10 to 30 metres depth. The hole was abandoned at a depth of 30 metres because of water inflows.

Most of the macrodiamonds in the sample are broken stones, probably resulting from fracturing of larger diamonds during the drilling process.

The largest two stones have maximum dimensions of 2.60 and 2.55 mm and weigh 0.0615 and 0.0405 carats.

The broken stones are described as being generally clear, whereas the two largest stones have inclusions and are slightly off-color.

Pipe K14C produces a magnetic anomaly 300 metres northeast of the centre of pipe K14 and 250 metres east of pipe K14B, though the companies say further drilling is required to refine these spatial relationships.

>From pipe K14B, a surface pit sample weighing 42 kg held 16 microdiamonds.

Hole 1, from kimberlite pipe K1A, returned no diamonds from a 44.8 kg sample taken from 39.8 to 46.9 metres. A 43.8-kg sample from 131.4 to 137.7 metres in hole 2 also came up empty.

>From pipe K1B, hole 1 yielded a single microdiamond from a 46.7 kg sample taken from 32.4 to 40.8 metres, whereas hole 2 yielded two macrodiamonds from a 45-kg sample taken from 31.6 to 39.3 metres.

Finally, hole 1, which was drilled into pipe K19, yielded no diamonds from a 51.3-kg sample taken from 90 to 98.7 metres.

Ashton and Pure Gold have an option agreement with Alberta Energy Company, whereby the two juniors can earn 42.5% and 15% interests, respectively, in the Buffalo Hills property. Total land holdings on the property comprise 11.5 million ha.

Ashton Mining of Canada is a 62%-owned subsidiary of Australian diamond-producer Ashton Mining, which holds a 40% interest in the Argyle diamond mine in northwestern Australia.