Ekati Mine
Owner: BHP (80%), Charles Fipke (10%), Stewart Blusson (10%)
Overview
The Ekati property covers 344,000 hectares, with the land lease area being 10,960 hectares and is located in Northwest Territories, Canada.
Ekati Diamond Mine opened in 1998 and produces nearly three per cent of current world rough diamond production by weight and five per cent by value. It is Canada's first surface and underground diamond mine.
Diamonds are sent from the mine to Yellowknife for cleaning and preparation for valuation before being exported from Canada. Approximately 80 percent of total production is of gem quality. Diamonds are found in kimberlite pipe deposits thought to be Mesozoic or Cenozoic in age. Ekati produces nearly 3% of current world rough diamond production.
The mine operator is BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. It is a joint venture between BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. (80%) and the explorers that discovered the diamond pipes: geologists Charles Fipke and Dr. Stewart Blusson.
Location
The property is composed of approximately 388,416 hectares in the Lac de Gras area of the MacKenzie Mining District of the NWT. Diamonds occur in kimberlite pipe deposits. Kimberlites on the property are thought to be Mesozoic or Cenozoic in age. The kimberlites have been emplaced into Archean rocks of the Slave tectonic province. BHP Billiton has discovered 150 kimberlite pipes on its claim block.
Though much younger, formed 52 million years ago, the Lac de Gras kimberlites are similar to those found in Russia and South Africa. Their younger age also means that they are less eroded which indicates that less diamond bearing material has been carried away from the minesite by surface waters.
The kimberlite pipes themselves are usually covered by small, shallow (10m-30m) lakes. The mine plan for the property is based on multiple pipe development with each starting as an open pit operation which will progress to underground development as conditions and reserves permit.
Yellowknife Office
BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc
1102, 4920-52nd Street
Yellowknife, NT
CAN X1A 3T1
Phone: 1 (867) 669 6100
Fax: 1 (867) 669 9293
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