Ekati Diamond Mine
| Ekati Diamond Mine | |
|---|---|
 Ekati mine aerial view, August 2010. Four open pits on four kimberlite pipes may be seen, along with the Ekati airport. |
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| Location | |
 Ekati Diamond Mine
64°42′49″N 110°37′10″W / 64.71361°N 110.61944°WCoordinates: 64°42′49″N 110°37′10″W / 64.71361°N 110.61944°W |
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| Location | Lac de Gras |
| Territory | Northwest Territories |
| Country | Canada |
| Owner | |
| Company | BHP Billiton (80%), Charles E. Fipke (10%), Stewart Blusson (10%) |
| Website | www.bhpbilliton.com |
| Production | |
| Products | Diamonds |
| History | |
| Opened | 1998 |
The EKATI Diamond Mine ("EKATI") is Canada's first surface and underground diamond mine.[1] It is located 310 kilometres (190 mi) north-east of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and about 200 kilometres (120 mi) south of the Arctic circle, near Lac de Gras. EKATI is a joint venture between BHP Billiton Canada Inc. (80%),[2] and the two geologists who discovered kimberlite pipes north of Lac de Gras, Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson each holding a 10% stake in the mine.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
The first volcanic pipe found in the Lac de Gras region was the Point Lake kimberlite,[3] discovered by Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson who had been prospecting in the region for almost ten years, having found kimberlite indicator minerals as early as 1985.[1] The Point Lake kimberlite was determined to be uneconomic, but its discovery precipitated one of largest staking rushes in mining history, covering most of the area between Yellowknife and the Arctic coast.[4] There are 156 known kimberlite pipes within the EKATI block of claims, including the Point Lake pipe. EKATI officially began operations on October 14, 1998, and is operated by BHP Billiton Canada Inc., a part of the BHP Billiton Group, the world's largest diversified resources company.
[edit] Geology
Diamonds at the EKATI site are found in 45 to 62 million year old kimberlite pipes (Creaser et al., 2004) of the Lac de Gras kimberlite field, most of which lie underneath shallow lakes.
[edit] Mining and marketing
Between 1998 and 2009, the mine has produced 45 million carats (8,000 kg / 17,636 lb) of diamonds out of six open pits.[1] As the high grade ore close to surface was depleted, development was completed to access the ore utilizing underground methods. Currently, there is one underground operation (Koala) with open-cut mining occurring in Fox Pit.[1]
Diamonds from the EKATI Mine are sold under the trade name Aurias. Authenticity is verified through the CanadaMark service, also operated by BHP Billiton Canada Inc.
[edit] See also
- Hugo Dummett of BHP, credited as co-discoverer of Ekati
- Volcanism of Canada
- Volcanism of Northern Canada
- Ekati Airport
- Diavik Diamond Mine
[edit] Foot notes
- ^ a b c d e Zlotnikoc, Dan (November 2008). "A norther star - Canada's first diamond mine celebrates a milestone". CIM Magazine (Montreal, Quebec, Canada: CIM Magazine) 3 (7): 40–43. ISSN 1718-4177.
- ^ BHP Billiton Diamonds
- ^ Erlich, E., Dan Hausel, W. (2002) Diamond deposits: origin, exploration, and history of discovery. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Inc. (SME), Littleton, CO.
- ^ The Northern Miner 1998 “Mining Man of the Year” award to Hugo Dummett
[edit] References
- Creaser, R.A. et al., 2004. "Macrocrystal phlogopite Rb-Sr dates for the Ekati property kimberlites, Slave Province, Canada: evidence for multiple intrusive episodes in the Paleocene and Eocene", 8th International Kimberlite Conference Selected Papers, vol. 1, pp. 399–414.
- Abraham, Carolyn, October 11, 2006. "X marks the spotlight for elusive benefactor", The Globe and Mail.
- Stuart Blusson from the GSC to Ekati
- "EKATI Diamond Mine 2009 Year in Review". BHP Billiton Canada Inc.. 2009. http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bbContentRepository/docs/dsp2009YearInReview.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-04.]
[edit] Further reading
- Kevin Krajick, Barren Lands: An Epic Search for Diamonds in the North American Arctic. 2001, Freeman/Henry Holt, ISBN 0716740265. Review at Smithsonian Magazine
- Chapter 17. Diamond Exploration – Ekati and Diavik Mines, Canada by Charles J. Moon (Google Books preview )in Charles J. Moon, M. K. G. Whateley, Anthony M. Evans, Introduction to Mineral Exploration, 2nd Edition. 2006,Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1405113175.
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- Figures and captions from Chapter 17 are available at publisher's site
[edit] External links
- Tour Canada from space: Ekati Diamond Mine at Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
- Ekati Mine photos and video at National Geographic
- Ekati Diamond Mine photos at Google Images
- Ekati Mine report at mining-technology.com. Includes a photo gallery.
- Ekati Diamond Mine at Natural Resources Canada. Details of environmental and socio-economic agreements signed by the mine.
- Ekati Diamond Mine profile at BHP Billiton Watch
- CanadaMark
