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Gold/Mining/Energy : Canadian Diamond Play Cafi -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Diamond Daze who wrote (312)	11/25/2002 12:52:01 PM
From: VAUGHN	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 16206

Hello DD I draw your attention to the key point in the article you referenced: South Africa. Garnet concentrates from high diamond-grade pipes show histograms of T(Ni) with large proportions within the Diamond Window, indicative of strong sampling of mantle within the diamond stability field (Fig. 6b). Low grade pipes show poor sampling within the Diamond Window, and abundant melt-affected high-T garnets (Fig. 6c). Will's reply reinforced my point in that regard, the rules that apply in the RSA don't always apply on the Slave Craton or apparently at Jackson Inlet. In short, in CANADA NORTH OF SIXTY, good geochemistry (G-10's) and high sodium eclogitic garnet have so far confirmed that a kimberlite sampled the diamond stability field, but NOT that it will be a high grade pipe. In the RSA, yes, G-10's apparently can suggest more but RSA experience/rules are not always reliable here. That may explain why DeBeers was so unsuccessful for so many years in Canada as it probably applied the rules it developed in Africa which a few of Diavik's pipes and one I know of at Ekati don't conform to. As Will pointed out, the FT pipe at Jackson Inlet has a few very high chrome G-10's and a high percentage plotting in the G-10 vs G-9 category however, in its limited sampling so far it has proven to contain high quality goods and a course diamond distribution, but only a modest grade by Diavik/Ekati standards. At Yamba Lake, Chris Jennings has been dogged about finding what he believe to be attractive but hidden pipes, but when you look at Yamba's geochemistry, G-10's are not common nor are they particularly high in Chrome and low in Calcium. I believe it is the Olivine, Chromite and to some degree Eclogitic Garnet geochemistry that has held CJ's attention. Bottom line however are to simply look at what most Canadian diamond explorers do. How many pipes have BHP, Diavik, SUF, ACA or the myriad of juniors abandoned without drilling because the sampled geochemistry departed from RSA standards? I think ACA drilled every pipe in Alberta that teamed with G-9's. DeBeers abandoned Victoria Island yet MK of Diamonds North has had extraordinary success in a very short period of time finding pipes and dikes with real potential, with more to come I believe. Now SUF thinks a Yamba pipe DeBeers abandoned "Sue" was under sampled and may contain a course diamond distribution. Bottom line, Canadian explorers must follow each geochemical train regardless of the numbers and sample each pipe with at least an RC not NQ drill and probably in at least three directions from surface to 300m to be sure of economic potential, as many, many Canadian pipes are usually multi-phase asymmetrical emplacements with unequal xenocryst distributions. As for those of us who watch/comment on and/or invest in diamond plays, we all too often appear not to have learned that grade assumptions should not be drawn, inferred or even suggested from small samples. More often than not, they mean very little. One need only look at what DeBeers is recovering from its larger sampling programs at Kennady Lake and Fort a la Corn to realize that dumping shares because initial "small" samples return unexciting counts is an unprofitable strategy. If the geochemisty is excellent and initial drill results show any diamonds at all, then a wise investor accumulates when everyone else is panicking and dumping. My two cents. Regards Vaughn