DIAMOND PAGE — Diamonds uncovered in Alberta kimberlites

Kimberlite bodies discovered in the Buffalo Hills area of north-central Alberta have proved to be diamondiferous.

Ashton Mining of Canada (ACA-T) has pulled diamonds from the first three kimberlites tested to date, and one of the pipe-like bodies has revealed a significant number of microdiamonds, as well as macrodiamonds.

The project is a joint venture among Ashton, Alberta Energy (AEC-T) and Pure Gold Resources (PUG-T). Ashton, as operator, can earn a 42.5% interest in the original 1.4-million-acre Buffalo Hills property from Alberta Engergy by spending $5 million on exploration. Pure Gold holds the right to a 15% interest.

The partners share ownership of an additional 4.4 million acres, where exploration expenditures will be shared proportionately.

Selected intervals of drill core from kimberlite K14 yielded 139 micros and 11 macros from a combined 152.5-kg sample. (Macrodiamonds are those that exceed 0.5 mm in size in at least one dimension.)

The geophysical anomaly representing K14 measures 300 by 200 metres. The kimberlite is covered by about 7 metres of overburden.

A 90.7-kg trench sample from the K2 kimberlite returned only a single microdiamond. K2 is a geophysical anomaly measuring 200 by 500 metres, and was unearthed from under 2 metres of glacial clay.

A single micro was also recovered from selected core samples totalling 99.2 kg from the K4A kimberlite. The geophysical signature of K4A measures 250 by 300 metres.

Ashton discovered 11 kimberlite pipe-like bodies this past winter while drilling a cluster of geophysical targets within a 100-sq.-km area. Results from tests on the remaining eight kimberlites are expected in the next few weeks.

The kimberlite is described as olivine-dominated, fragmental, tuffaceous and possibly representative of crater and possible diatreme facies.

Analyses of the indicator minerals in kimberlites K2, K4A and K14 confirmed the presence of G10 pyrope garnets and abundant chromites.

While the partners caution that “microdiamond analyses alone do not provide sufficient information to assess the commercial diamond potential,” they are nonetheless encouraged by the initial results and indicate that additional testing, including bulk sampling, is warranted.

The partners recently acquired a position in an additional 21 million acres of ground in the Buffalo Hills area from Cayo Resources (CAYO-C). Cayo will hold a 40% interest in the area, Ashton 25.5%, Alberta Energy 25.5% and Pure Gold 9%.

Cayo also holds a half interest in a 9.3-million-acre land package in east-central Alberta.