Canadian Diamond Mines
Canada is a big player in the international diamond industry, and ranked amongst the top three diamond producers in the world (in terms of value) in 2007. The many plus points of Canadian diamonds are that they are of exceptional quality and 'clean', i.e., they are not being used to finance terror, war and weapons, as is being done in countries such as Sierra Leone and Angola.
Diamonds were first discovered in Canada in 1991 at Point Lake near Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories. Since then, several mines have opened. They include:
Diamond Mines in Canada
Ekati
Canada's first diamond mine is the Ekati mine, which is 300 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife. This mine that opened in 1998 is primarily owned by Australian mining conglomerate BHP Billiton, who own an 80% share. The minority share of 20& is owned by Charles Fipke and Stewart Blusson (10% each), who are the geologists who discovered the mines. This mine has yielded 40 million carats (8,000 kg / 17,636 lb) of diamonds out of six open pits, between 1998 and 2008.
Diavik
The Diavik mine is about 186 miles north of Yellowknife and 100 kilometers southeast of Ekati. The construction of this mine began in 2001 and it opened in 2003. Since then, it has greatly boosted the regions economy, and provided large-scale employment opportunities. The mine is jointly owned by the Harry Winston Diamond Corporation and Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group. On an average it produces 8 million carats (1600 kg) of diamonds each year.
Jericho
Another famous Canadian mine producing diamonds is called Jericho, and is located at about 400 km northeast of Yellowknife. It was Nunavut's first diamond mine when it opened in August 2006, and is owned by the Toronto-based Tahera Diamond Corporation. Estimates place the mines production capacity at 375,000 carats (75 kg) a year. The mine is accessible only by road via which all equipment is brought in.
Snap Lake
The Snap Lake mine is owned by De Beers, and is located in the Northwest Territories, about 220 kilometers northeast of Yellowknife. The project was completed and became functional in 2007, and is supposed to be Canada's first completely underground diamond mine. De Beers expects to produce 1.1 million tons (1.2 million short tons) annually with 1.2 carats (240 mg) per metric ton.
Gahcho Kue Project
The Gahcho Kue Diamond Project is still in the formative stages. Construction is likely to begin in 2010 and the mine should be in use by 2012. It will be located in the Northwest Territories and is a joint-venture between Mountain Province Diamonds, De Beers Canada and Camphor Ventures.
Victor Project
The Victor Mine Project is also in the planning stages. It is located in the James Bay Lowlands of Northern Ontario, approximately 90 km west of the coastal community of Attawapiskat. The mine is owned by De Beers and construction of the mine began in February 2006.
According to estimates, Canada will continue to be a diamond supplier to reckon with, as Canadian mines are expected to keep producing for the next 18 years. Not only that, mines such as Ekati, Diavik, Jericho and Snap Lake are producing some of the best diamonds in the world. The future is also likely to see many more diamond mines dot the territory of Canada.
