Jul 25 2017
North Arrow Minerals Inc. is pleased to announce it has completed collection of a planned mini-bulk sample at the Q1-4 kimberlite as part of a $3.2M summer exploration program at the Company’s 100% owned Naujaat (now-yat; formerly Qilalugaq) and Mel Diamond Projects in Nunavut.
Q1-4 kimberlite mini-bulk sample surface at Naujaat Diamond Project. (Credit: Marketwired)
A total of 250 megabags of kimberlite with an approximate field weight of 234 (wet) tonnes, have been collected from a single sample pit at the Q1-4 kimberlite. The sample was collected using a mini-excavator with kimberlite exposed beneath 0.5 m to 1.0 m of glacial till. Initial evaluation of the exposed kimberlite identified a north trending internal contact between distinct kimberlite phases. Kimberlite to the west of the contact (field term “Green Kimberlite”) made up approximately 30% of the pit area and is described as a dark green, massive, very xenolith poor, very olivine rich, phlogopite coherent kimberlite with fine to very coarse macrocrysts (pre-dominantly olivine) and a good mantle sample. The remainder of the pit is comprised of a blue, massive, poorly sorted, xenolith poor, olivine rich volcaniclastc kimberlite with fine to very coarse olivine and a moderate mantle sample (field term “Blue Kimberlite’). As a result of the presence of two distinct kimberlite units, the sample was divided into three subsamples: Blue Kimberlite (60 bags), Green Kimberlite (31 bags) and Mixed Blue-Green Kimberlite (159 bags). Final data collection, mapping and reclamation of the sample pit is currently underway and all of the sample bags have been transported to the company’s laydown 7 km to the south at the Hamlet of Naujaat. The sample will be shipped south on Naujaat’s annual sea-lift scheduled for arrival at the community on August 26th, and will be processed during the fall of 2017. The sample will be processed for the recovery of commercial sized (+0.85 mm) diamonds and the resultant diamond parcel will be used to provide a better understanding and indication of the diamond content, size distribution, and fancy colour diamond population within the sampled units. Results of the sample, and the ongoing delineation drill program, will be used to plan collection of a larger bulk sample in 2018.