Diamond mines and pipelines continue to be hot topics of discussion and speculation across the Northwest Territories. As we move into our second decade of diamond discovery, the Northwest Territories is firmly establishing itself as one of the premier places to develop diamond prospects.
The Ekati diamond mine continues to produce high-quality stones from the Panda pipe, and initial production from the Misery pipe has also met with success. The pipe produced a 19-carat fancy yellow diamond among other good-quality yellow stones.
In other diamond news, Diavik Diamond Mines continues with construction of the $1.3-billion Diavik mine, slated for an April 2003 startup. In the weeks ahead, the Canadian mining division of De Beers is expected to file its environmental assessment report for the Snap Lake project with the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Review Board. The environmental assessment is a significant step toward Snap Lake’s being the first wholly underground diamond mine in Canada.
Meanwhile, the Con and Giant Yellowknife operations continue to produce gold for Miramar Mining, with production expected to trail off in the next two to three years. And North American Tungsten has re-activated the CanTung mine, with concentrates slated for shipment in the near future.
— The preceding is from Exploration and Development Highlights 2002, published by the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada. The author is a geologist with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
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