Snowfield Development Corp. SWFCF

Drybones and Mud Lake

[bestguesstoo]

I went to the New Shoshoni Ventures website and re-read the report posted about the Drybones Bay kimberlites called DB01 and DB02. These two pipes were sampled by drilling 21 holes and produced core weighing only about 10 Tonnes. As you say, the results were disappointing since they produced only small stones. No bulk sample was taken because the cost would be "excessively expensive". The report indicates that neither DB01 or DB02 outcrop, and are hidden by the waters of Great Slave Lake which might explain the high cost. What I found interesting is that many of the stones recovered were fragments indicating the possibility of larger stones much like the stones recovered from drilling at Mud Lake. Another item missing from the NSV report is any mention of "green garnets" although other diamond indicators are mentioned. Green garnets are found in the drill core from the Mud Lake deposit and in till samples from the area leading to Sipper Lake. This is encouragaing because of the correlation between them and economic diamond mines(see SNO news release NR 06-33 - August 28, 2006). DB01 is about 75 acres in size making it the largest known kimberlite pipe in Canada's artic. But, since the MVEIRB has rejected NSV's application and the federal ministry supports that decision, it's not likely that a bulk sample will be taken any time soon anyway. It's a shame because a bulk sample might just reveal some of those larger stones. There is an interesting report from the Geological Survey of Canada at gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/diamonds/drybones/pdf/ofd3942.pdf which outlines the preliminary investigation of the geology of the Drybones Bay area. David Smith was one of the authors. The report also contains a great aerial photograph of the area. BGT