Ressources Dianor inc.
Due diligence sampling and results
January 2005
The due diligence program focused on verifying diamond results obtained by the vendor in addition to testing other areas of the outcropping conglomerate for diamonds. Sampling was restricted to the Northern Sector of the property. The program consisted of sampling the conglomerate by excavating small pits in the bedrock. A total of 15 pits were excavated and sampled for a combined weight of 4.86 tonnes of rock. Of these, 11 pits occur along a 400 metre strike-length of the Leadbetter conglomerate.
The due diligence bedrock samples were shipped to the Saskatchewan Research Council’s laboratory in Saskatoon for recovery of diamonds by the caustic fusion process. In addition, samples were also sent to the CF Minerals laboratory in Kelowna for attrition milling to recover diamond indicator minerals and diamonds. The results of the due diligence sampling succeeded in confirming the diamond results obtained by the vendor and also demonstrated that the diamond distribution appeared to be consistent in the sampled conglomerates. In addition, a further three large samples, totaling 2.7 tonnes, were submitted to SGS Lakefield for recovery of diamonds by dense media separation (DMS), a conventional diamond recovery method. A total of 63 diamonds (greater than 0.85mm) weighing 1.704carats were recovered by DMS processing for an indicated diamond grade of 63 carats per hundred tonnes. Overall, a total of 7 diamonds each greater than 1/10th carat was recovered from five pits/sites. The largest stone recovered from the DMS work measured: 3.85 by 2.68 by 1.66 millimetres in size and weighed 0.1396 carats. The largest stone recovered from the caustic fusion work measured: 3.50 by 2.72 by 2.40 millimetres in size and weighed 0.1735 carats. In general, the stone population consisted of approximately 50% white, transparent stones exhibiting excellent preservation (85% and better). Octahedral forms are common.
February 2005
The first results from caustic fusion testing performed at Saskatchewan Research Council's (SRC) Laboratory in Saskatoon on one 27kg sample collected on the property. The results returned a diamond count of 102 diamonds.
On February 14th 2005, diamond results for five due diligence samples, each sample weighing 32 kg, that were caustically fused at the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Laboratory in Saskatoon were released. The largest diamond for this parcel measured 3.03mm x 1.76mm x 1.24mm and weighed 0.065carat. These results are not deemed representative of the diamond grade and a diamond distribution can not be calculated from such a small sample. The results only confirmed the diamond-bearing nature of the rock. Since the peculiar host rock to the diamonds had not been formally identified through petrography, the term diamond-bearing rock (DBR) was used to describe the diamond bearing Leadbetter conglomerate.
Results for four samples processed through attrition milling at the C.F. Mineral Research Ltd. in Kelowna, B.C. produced 309 diamonds from 95,18kg of rock obtained from 4 pit samples during the due diligence sampling program. The attrition milling was also successful at obtaining indicator diamond minerals from the samples. The minerals were analyzed for their chemistry (microprobe analysis) and the results plotted on specialized charts to assist in understanding the provenance of the Leadbetter diamonds and their original/primary host rock.
April 2005
In April, processing on 3 larger samples totaling 2.7 tonnes extracted from 3 individual pits during the Due Diligence program commenced. The DMS (Dense Media Separation) processing plant located at SGS – Lakefield Research Limited, Ontario, produced heavy mineral concentrates from which diamonds are recovered. Only commercial sized (+0.85 mm) diamonds are recovered by X-ray sorting and grease tabling. This is the standard methodology to recover diamonds in commercial diamond mining operations.
At C.F. Minerals laboratory in Kelowna, BC attrition milling testing of 2 further samples also got on its way while the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Laboratory in Saskatoon was continuing the processing of 10 samples through caustic fusion digestion.
May 2005
Results from the testing of a further 752.8kg of diamond-bearing rock from 6 individual locations by caustic fusion were obtained. Some 92 macro-diamonds were recovered with the largest stone measured at 3.50mm x 2.72mm x 2.40 mm weighed some 0.173505 carat.
July 2005
On July 19th, the company announced further results from 7 additional pit samples from which the diamond were extracted through caustic fusion at the Saskatchewan Research Council’s (SRC) Laboratory in Saskatoon. 64 macro-diamonds were recovered from 529.95kg. The two largest stones recovered were measured at 2.1mm x 1.60mm x 1.42mm and 2.00mm x 1.44mm x 1.00mm, with a combined total weight of 0.059 carat.
August 2005
C.F. Minerals laboratory provided Dianor with the last results from the larger attrition milling processing of 2 pit samples, amounting to 300kg of diamond-bearing rock. In these samples some 36 commercial-sized diamonds were recovered. The four largest diamonds measured 1.49mm x 1.67mm x 1.03mm; 1.87mm x 1.45mm x 0.88mm; 3.00mm x 1.05mm x 1.62mm and 3.00mm x 1.45mm x 1.44mm totaling 0.065carats. In addition to these, a number of diamond indicator minerals were also recovered.
September 2005
On September 13th, the company reported the results of the DMS (dense media separation) processing performed by SGS – Lakefield Research Limited. The samples from 3 pits weighing some 2711.9kg produced some 63 commercial size diamonds (+0.85mm). An audit conducted on one of the samples produced an additional 78 diamonds including 2 stones having commercial characteristics.
The DMS testing indicates that conventional diamond industry equipment and procedures can be used to recover diamonds from the DBR unit and can be utilized in any future bulk sampling programs on the property.
Geological mapping, at this time, revealed that three major rock units exists on the Leadbetter Diamond Project namely; a conglomerate horizon, formerly known as the Diamond-Bearing Rock (DBR unit), situated between mafic volcanics to the north and finer thin-bedded sandstone/siltstone in the south.
Geochemistry of indicator minerals
2004 Due Dilligence Sampling
Database - Diamond Results
Color of recovered diamonds
Due Dilligence Sampling Location Map
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