May 14 2019
North Arrow Minerals Inc., a Canadian-based exploration company, has provided an update on its fully owned Naujaat Diamond Project, Nunavut, which also includes the Q1-4 kimberlite diamond deposit, situated just 9 km from Naujaat’s coastal community.
At present, North Arrow Minerals is intending to collect a total of 10,000-ton bulk sample from the Q1-4 deposit, and it has also started an engineering design and costing analysis of a small-scale mobile diamond recovery plant as part of this recent work.
The aim of the bulk sample will be to assess the size distribution and value properties of diamonds, placing emphasis on a clear population of fancy, high-value, yellow to orangey-yellow diamonds that have been discovered in the Q1-4 deposit. Furthermore, Microlithics Laboratories of Thunder Bay, Ontario, TOMRA, and Imilingo Mineral Processing of Pretoria, South Africa have been engaged by North Arrow Minerals to examine the modular diamond recovery design options integrating the X-Ray transmission (XRT) sorting technology of TOMRA with an aim to recover diamonds measuring more than 3 mm (nominally > 0.5 carat) in size.
We are pleased to be working with Imilingo, TOMRA and Microlithics to study diamond recovery plant design options for use in our continued evaluation of the Q1-4 diamond deposit. Over the last number of years, TOMRA’s XRT sorting technology has changed the diamond mining landscape by providing an X-Ray transmission sorting solution that improves diamond recoveries while reducing breakage and water use compared to more traditional diamond recovery circuits. We believe XRT sorting technology can also be used for the evaluation of diamond deposits and is an ideal recovery solution for the Q1-4 diamond population. Locating a small-scale diamond recovery plant at or near the project site will also reduce costs, improve logistics and increase local employment and business opportunities for the residents of Naujaat.
Ken Armstrong, President and CEO, North Arrow Minerals Inc.
The focus on recovering greater than 3-mm diamonds is a major part of the study announced recently. A considerable amount of the cost related to processing previous Q1-4 kimberlite samples has been associated with assuring and documenting the recovery of smaller diamonds measuring down to 1 mm in size.
While information on the 1 mm to 3 mm diamonds is important, most often the value of these diamonds does not impact the potential viability of the deposit being tested. This is certainly the case for Q1-4 where the value and size distribution of the fancy coloured diamond population will be critical in determining the economic potential of the deposit. We are therefore looking to design a small-scale mobile plant that can produce a hand-sortable concentrate for the recovery of +3 mm diamonds while saving significant costs and time delays associated with shipping bulk samples south for processing.
Ken Armstrong, President and CEO, North Arrow Minerals Inc.
The close proximity of the deposit to marine transportation infrastructure and the enhanced accessibility that will be afforded by a proposed new community access trail will make it possible to locate a diamond recovery plant at Naujaat under the Q1-4 bulk sampling program.
As specified in North Arrow Minerals’ news release a few months back, a project description has been submitted by the Hamlet of Naujaat to build an access trail that will travel about 1.5 km to the southeast of the Q1-4 deposit. The proposed access trail will lie completely within the Municipality of Naujaat, and its design and construction will be handled by the Hamlet, which has taken the lead as an advocate and is looking for financing options that are presently well ahead.
By summer 2020, the proposed access trail is scheduled to be completed. It aligns with the estimated delivery time of the diamond recovery plant in support of a 10,000-ton bulk sample from the Q1-4 deposit.
Diamond exploration programs of North Arrow Minerals are performed under the guidance of Kenneth Armstrong, P.Geo. (ON), President, and CEO of North Arrow Minerals.