Dominion Diamond Plans Ekati Mine Extension

Dominion Diamond Corp. (TSX:DDC,NYSE:DDC) filed an application with the Wek’éezhii Land and Water Board to request a new land-use permit and Class A Water License; the company hopes to extend the Ekati diamond mine to cover the Jay and Cardinal kimberlite pipes.

As quoted in the press release:

The application filed by the Company, which is a Detailed Project Report for the Jay-Cardinal Project, represents the first stage in the regulatory approval process. Detailed study work commenced immediately following the acquisition of the Ekati Diamond Mine by the Company on 10^th April 2013.

The Jay-Cardinal Project involves the development of the largest diamondiferous resource in North America. The development and mining of these kimberlites is the cornerstone of Dominion Diamond Corporation’s strategy for building a long-term, sustainable Canadian diamonds business. At the Jay pipe, drilling to date has established 78 million carats of indicated resource and 13 million carats of inferred resource. Further work at Jay during the coming winter is designed to enable consideration of an open pit reserve to support development of the project.  In itself, the Jay-Cardinal Project has the potential to extend the operating life of the Ekati Diamond Mine in the order of 10 to 20 years beyond the currently scheduled closure in 2019.

Click here to read the full Dominion Diamond Corp. (TSX:DDC,NYSE:DDC) press release.