Buffalo Diamonds Ltd BUFD.U
Shares issued 13,448,200 Sep 14 close $0.30
Wed 15 Sept 99 News Release
Mr. Chet Idziszek reports
An additional 54 Gurney's G10 harzburgitic pyrope garnets (G10 garnets)
have been confirmed by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in samples
collected from the Calling Lake and Varlaam properties, bringing the total
number of G10 garnets recovered from these two properties to 66. The
variety, quantity, angularity and localized nature of diamond indicator
minerals found in the Calling Lake West and Calling Lake Southeast target
areas suggest that these indicators come from a nearby diamond-bearing
kimberlite source.
In addition, a recently completed airborne magnetic survey has identified
numerous significant magnetic anomalies and associated structures within
these two target areas. The company considers these anomalies to be its
highest priority drill targets in its exploration for diamond-bearing
kimberlites at Calling Lake.
Beach sediment sampling
A total of 60 of the G10 garnets was recovered from four 25-kilogram beach
sediment samples taken from the Calling Lake West and Calling Lake
Southeast target areas. The angular nature and high numbers of G10 garnets
and other indicators recovered from samples in both target areas strongly
suggest that they have not travelled far from a diamond-bearing kimberlite
source.
The four samples (samples A, C, D, and E below) collectively produced 1,002
subangular to angular pyrope garnets as well as chrome diopside, eclogitic
garnets and picroilmenite. Only the pyrope garnets from these four samples
were microprobed and less than 5 per cent of the oxide portion of the
concentrate was picked for picroilmenite and chromite. Samples C, D, and E
were collected at 500-metre intervals along the western shore of Calling
Lake, approximately 10 kilometres northwest of sample A.
A total of 60 (or approximately 6 per cent) of the pyrope garnets recovered
from these four samples classified as G10 garnets. The following table
summarizes all samples, which have produced G10 garnets.
Total G10 Total Target
Pyropes Garnets Indicators Area
Sample A
152 11 +500 Calling Lake SE
Sample B
2 1 N/A Calling Lake SE
Sample C
103 5 +500 Calling Lake W
Sample D
342 12 +500 Calling Lake W
Sample E
405 32 +500 Calling Lake W
Sample F
2 1 5 Calling Lake W
Sample G
1 1 1 South of
Calling Lake
Sample H
1 1 1 NE of Calling
Lake
Sample I
5 1 5 Calling River E
Sample J
1 1 1 Calling River E
In June of this year, a short follow-up surface sampling program was
completed in the Calling Lake West target area and along the entire
shoreline of Calling Lake. The majority of the sand grains in beach
sediment along much of Calling Lake's shoreline are well rounded and
frosted indicating that they have travelled a significant distance in an
alluvial environment. There is, however, an abrupt change in the beach
sediment along the four-to-five-kilometre stretch of the western shoreline
of Calling Lake where samples C, D, and E were collected. In this area,
beach sediment changes from quartz-feldspair sand to sand interbedded with
one inch to two inch purple to violet layers of pyrope garnets and oxide
grains. The heavy minerals within these layers of pyrope garnets and oxide
grains are largely comprised of subangular to angular pyrope garnets, with
lesser amounts of chrome diopside, chromite, picroilmenite and olivine. The
variety, quantity, angularity and localized nature of this occurrence of
indicator minerals suggest that they have not travelled far from a
weathered diamond-bearing kimberlite source.
The SRC has also confirmed high concentrations of indicators approximately
10 kilometres to the southeast, along a short stretch of the southern
shoreline of Calling Lake, where 12 of the 66 G10 garnets were recovered in
samples A (11) and B (1). Sampling of beach sediment from the shoreline
between the Calling Lake West and Calling Lake Southeast target areas
returned diamond indicator mineral counts ranging from none to 11 indicator
minerals as compared with greater than 500 indicators in samples within
those target areas. The localized nature of these two highly anomalous
areas is likely the result of the erosion of two separate kimberlite
sources.
Varlaam airborne magnetic survey
The company's airborne magnetic survey on the Varlaam property, including
additional detail flying, is now nearing completion. Several significant
magnetic features have already been observed in the preliminary data and
correspond well with the highly anomalous indicator results from the
Calling Lake West and Calling Lake Southeast target areas. As followup, the
company has requested Terraquest, its airborne geophysical contractor, to
provide additional airborne magnetic coverage to achieve a 100-metre line
spacing in the Calling Lake West target area. A detailed interpretation of
the airborne survey by Kit Campbell, the company's geophysical consultant,
is currently in progress. The results of Mr. Campbell's interpretation will
be used to select and prioritize kimberlite drill targets in addition to
those already identified.
Phase II auger program
The company has also received all the results from visual analyses of
indicators from the phase II overburden auger sampling program. A total of
71 auger holes was completed at 59 separate sites. The majority (62) of the
holes was completed in the Calling River East target area, up ice from the
discovery site of the gem quality macrodiamond recovered by the company
from a basal till sample collected in 1998 (see press release in Stockwatch
Jan. 13, 1999). A total of 377 samples was collected and analysed by the
SRC for indicators. Multiple samples were collected from each hole with a
single sample collected for each distinctive overburden unit.
Preliminary visual indicator counts from all samples ranged from none to 43
indicators and from none to 118 indicators, from a single auger site or
hole. Collectively, the most abundant indicator picked from all samples was
picroilmenite (97 per cent) with only a few silicates (pyrope garnet -- 10,
eclogitic garnet -- nil, chrome diopside -- nine, olivine -- three) and a
few chromite grains (seven). Where only a portion of the oxide concentrate
was picked, picroilmenite and chromite counts have been normalized to 100
per cent. Undisturbed bedrock was intersected only once during the program
in hole BAH98-57, less than a kilometre south of the macrodiamond discovery
site. The overburden depth in hole BAH98-57 is 40 metres and no indicators
were recovered.
The purpose of the auger program in the Calling River East target area was
to establish whether the macrodiamond and anomalous quantities of
indicators in the Calling River were part of a dispersion train, which
could be traced to a weathered kimberlite source up ice direction from the
Calling River. It appears that indicators recovered in and adjacent to the
Calling River in the Calling River East target area are the result of the
dispersion of indicators from Calling Lake, to the east along the Calling
River drainage.
The initial visual indicator results from the auger program suggest that
the highest concentration of indicators (and nearly all of the silicate
indicator minerals picked), occur in auger holes immediately north and
within several kilometres of the Calling River. As well, indicator counts
from surface and auger till samples were typically lower than the anomalous
quantities of indicator minerals observed in samples of stream sediment
from Calling River. During transport, the indicator minerals may have
subsequently become concentrated in the Calling River paleo-drainage system
or were reworked locally and incorporated into till by subsequent
glaciation.
The company will focus its exploration efforts on priority rating the
recently discovered airborne anomalies and structures associated with the
highly anomalous quantities of G10 garnets and other indicators on the
Calling Lake Southeast and Calling Lake West target areas. The company
intends to carry out a program of diamond drilling on these kimberlite
targets this fall and over the winter.
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