February 5, 2008

Diamonds North Qavvik-1 Kimberlite results


by Jo Black

Diamonds North Resources Ltd. announces diamond results for the Qavvik-1 kimberlite on its 100% owned Amaruk property in the Pelly Bay Diamond District of Nunavut. The Company has identified two main kimberlite lithologies from the Qavvik-1 drill core; a macrocrystic kimberlite (MK) and a sparsely macrocrystic kimberlite breccia (SMKB).

Based on these results, Diamonds North downgrades the Qavvik-1 kimberlite. Tuktu-1 and Qavvik-4 kimberlites remain top priority discoveries for the Company. The core sample from Qavvik-1 appears to indicate that the tested portion of this body does not have a coarse diamond population. Only a small portion of the Qavvik -1 kimberlite has been tested with two vertical holes and one inclined hole (-65o) along a 30 metre section of an interpreted long axis of 230 metres.

The Company believes that larger diamonds do exist on the property as evidenced by larger diamond fragments measuring 1.02mm x 0.68mm x 0.54mm and 1.18 mm x 0.6 mm x 0.58 mm recovered from Qavvik-3 and Qavvik-4 kimberlites. In addition, a 1.10 x 1.05 x 0.95 mm diamond was recovered on the 0.85mm mesh at the WMC kimberlite float occurrence. All 3 of these samples are smaller than 100kg.

Diamond results for 12 additional kimberlites are pending, including eight more kimberlite discoveries in the Tuktu cluster (550 diamonds were recovered in 81.75 kilogram sample from Tuktu-1.

The 2006 percussion drill intersected the macrocrystic kimberlite phase of Qavvik-1 and returned 431 stones greater than 0.105mm from 457.33kg (0.942 stones/kg). Approximately 18% of these recovered diamonds are fragments. It appears that there is not a significant difference in diamond recovery between the percussion drill chips and drill core from the Qavvik-1 kimberlite. However, comparison between surface samples and percussion drill chip samples from the Umingmak kimberlite do suggest significant diamond destruction, losses may have been as high as 50%, mostly in the larger sizes. An explanation for the difference in diamond destruction is that the Umingmak kimberlite is very hard, whereas the Qavvik-1 kimberlite is highly altered and much softer.

Diamonds North has discovered 22 kimberlites to date on the Amaruk property. Diamond results have been received for 11 kimberlites; more than 80% of the kimberlites are diamondiferous of which 50% contain significant diamond counts and there are still 500 compelling geophysical targets that remain to be tested. The results to date, plus compelling mineral chemistry indicate that the Amaruk project is located over a significantly fertile diamond mantle.

The drill core was logged in secure facilities at the Amaruk field camp by geoscientists. Samples were securely sealed in solid containers and shipped to Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in Saskatoon for processing.

Story link: Diamonds North Qavvik-1 Kimberlite results




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