North Arrow Minerals Inc (TSX-V:NAR) has reported that processing has started at a 2,000-tonne bulk sample from its Naujaat diamond project in Nunavut, Canada.
The 2,500 bag sample was collected from the Q1-4 kimberlite, the largest and most diamondiferous of the eight kimberlites discovered so far at the project, in July and August this year and arrived in Montreal on October 6.
As of October 22, North Arrow said approximately one-third of the sample has been delivered to the Saskatchewan Research Council Geoanalytical Laboratory in Saskatoon. The balance of the sample is expected to be delivered over the next several weeks.
The company said dense media separation (DMS) processing of the sample is underway. The recovered diamond parcel is intended to confirm the size distribution and character of an important population of potentially high-value, fancy yellow to orange-yellow diamonds. Diamond recoveries are expected to be reported in stages as processing is completed on each of five subsamples, it added.
“The start of bulk sample processing is an important milestone for the Naujaat project,” president and CEO Ken Armstrong said in a statement.
“The purpose of this sample is to confirm that a unique population of fancy yellow to orange-yellow diamonds extend into coarser diamond sizes.
“The quality of these diamonds will also be very important as we believe these fancy colored diamonds will be a key value driver for potential future development of the Q1-4 deposit.”
The $5.6M bulk sample program is funded by partner Burgundy Diamond Mines as part of a June 1, 2020 option agreement under which Burgundy may earn a 40% interest in the Naujaat Project by funding the current bulk sample program.
Away from Q1-4, the firm has also discovered and is evaluating diamond-bearing kimberlites at the Pikoo (Saskatchewan), Mel (Nunavut), Loki (Northwest Territories), and LDG JV Projects (Northwest Territories).
North Arrow also has a 100% interest in the Hope Bay Oro gold project in Nunavut, which is about 3 km north of Agnico Eagle’s Doris gold mine.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com