The Canadian Diamond Industry

The Canadian Diamond Industry

Diavik, Canada's second diamond mine, began production in January 2003. During its projected 20-year life, average diamond production from this mine is expected to be 8 Mct/y and to peak at 11 Mct, representing about 6% of the world's total supply.

Snap Lake started production in early autumn 2007 and, in full production, is expected to produce about 1.5 Mct/y. It is located near the Ekati and Diavik mines in the Northwest Territories, about 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, and is 100% owned by De Beers Canada. The deposit is unique in that the diamondiferous kimberlite is in the form of a dyke as opposed to the more common carrot-shaped pipe. The kimberlite to be mined over the project life is estimated at 18.3 Mt grading 1.46 ct/t.

The Victor open-pit mine, Ontario's first diamond mine, began development in January 2006 and came into production in spring 2008. The Victor pipe has mineable reserves estimated at 27.4 Mt averaging 0.23 ct/t. While this ore grade is low, the value of the diamonds extracted, at about $440 per carat, is one of the highest in the world. At full capacity, the mine is expected to produce about 600 000 ct/y over a 12-year open-pit mine life.

Together with these mines, advanced mining projects (such as Gahcho Kué in the Northwest Territories, Foxtrot in Quebec, and Fort-à-la-Corne and Star in Saskatchewan) the numerous advanced exploration projects across Canada ensure prosperous times to come for the economy of many Canadian regions.