Chuck:
Its always been exciting living in YK as there is lots if action up here, exploration and otherwise. The Diamonds have definitely added to that and it is impossible to be in YK and not be excited about everything that is swirling. Walt is busy doing season end paper work as we all are. Reports, maps, etc.. The Geoscience Forum is the end of next month and we must be ready to showcase our properties, so between that and trying to squeeze in a bit more work before the snow flies and the water freezes is keeping all busy.
It will be interesting to see where the sample is processed, but I can tellyou there is only two places in the NWT that can handle that. As Trev points out in #8683, the Lytton facility at Lupin could be a possibility. The only other plant is in YK at the Mirmar Con mine. The plant belongs to Kennicott. Con miners are on strike at the moment and unless that is resolved before the sample at Snap is ready then it is not likely to be processed there. However if the strike is settled I would give a high probability that it would be handled there. Other than that I would have to assume it would be processed down south somewhere. They would probably hire Gord Bolton and all his neighbourly red necked Albertan mother truckers and haul it away to wherever. Its been done before, but usually with smaller samples.
You can be assured though that it will not be processed at the BHP/Diamet Ekati Mine plant. Also remember that Diavik does not have a plant at their site yet. The samples from those pipes were processed here in YK at the Kennicott plant at Mirmar Con mine and I think some may have gone south as well.
Timing will depend on a lot of factors such as;
- When will the sampling operation begin and finish?
- When will the winter ice road be ready for heavy traffic?
- When wil the winter spur road be completed into Snap?
- Will they choose to fly out some of the ore or wait and haul it all by winter road?
- Will they get the sample all out before the winter road closes?
- What plant will be used to process the sample?
- Will that plant be immediately available to process that sample?
Too many variables to answer your question with any certainty. I would presume that the Spear crew has addressed some of these questions so you may have to wait till we hear from them. So.... relax, the diamonds in the dyke ain't going to evaporate between now and then. Ya just gotta remember that this ain't just a merry drive up an all weather highway with a fleet of mothers in trucks and dig it up and away we go. Lots of tricky and difficult logistics involved. Nothing that lots of investment dollars can't handle though, so keep buyin!
L8er,
Regards,
TAZ |
