Kikerk find yields stones

A kimberlite discovery at the Kikerk Lake property in the north Slave Craton region of Nunavut has returned a significant number of microdiamonds.

Ashton Mining of Canada (ACA-T) unearthed the Potentilla kimberlite this fall while drill-testing a magnetic anomaly at the head of a prominent indicator mineral train. A 207.8-kg aggregate sample of two distinct kimberlite facies yielded 230 microdiamonds and 22 macros. (A macro is here defined as measuring greater than 0.5 mm in at least one dimension.)

A vertical hole drilled into the centre of the anomaly intersected kimberlite breccia diatreme beneath 9.9 metres of overburden to a depth of 142.3 metres, before passing into a hypabyssal phase. The hole was shut down while still in hypabyssal kimberlite at a depth of 184.7 metres.

A second hole collared at an angle of minus 53 intersected kimberlite breccia from 9.7 to 98.4 metres down-hole, followed by 8.6 metres of hypabyssal kimberlite to a depth of 107 metres. Hole 2 was terminated in sedimentary rock at 161.2 metres.

Samples of the diatreme phase weighing 129.1 kg returned 160 micros and 15 macros. Seven of the macros measured more than 0.5 mm in two dimensions, with the largest stone measuring 2.13 by 1.94 by 0.87 mm. The hypabyssal phase returned 70 micros and seven macros from 78.7 kg of drill sample. Three of the macros were greater than 0.5 mm in two dimensions, with the biggest stone measuring 0.8 by 0.52 by 0.39 mm.

Ashton tested a second target associated with a linear magnetic feature while looking for the source of an indicator mineral train containing G10 pyrope garnets, 500 metres northeast of Potentilla. Two inclined holes drilled from the same site intersected an altered breccia unit containing narrow intervals of kimberlite dykes measuring 45 cm and 15 cm, along with abundant stringers of kimberlite. Initial analysis suggests the kimberlite intersections may not be the source of the indicator minerals.

Ashton can earn an initial 52.5% interest in the Kikerk Lake property from Caledonia Mining (CAL-T) by spending $750,000 on exploration. The company can boost its interest to 59.5% by carrying Caledonia through to completion of a feasibility study. Northern Empire Minerals (NEM-V) retains a 30% working interest. The Kikerk Lake property is 500 km north of Yellowknife.