news from CNWStar Diamond Project: Final phase 3 diamond results - 9.14, 8.58, 8.47 and 7.45 carat diamonds in 350.10 carat parcel
Stock Symbol: SGF: TSX
SASKATOON, Oct. 4 /CNW/ - George H. Read, P. Geo., Senior Vice President
Exploration and Development, is pleased to announce the eighth and final set
of diamond results from Phase 3 of the underground bulk sampling of the Star
Kimberlite (Phase 1 being the original 25,000 tonne bulk sample and Phase 2
being the 18,000 tonne bulk sample). The diamond recoveries total
350.10 carats from 2,862 dry tonnes of kimberlite processed. Included in this
release are results for 12 kimberlite batches of a total of 87 kimberlite
batches that were processed as part of the Phase 3 bulk sampling program. A
total of 2,078 commercial sized diamonds (greater than 1.18 millimetre square
mesh screen), collectively weighing 349.07 carats, has been recovered from
these 12 batches. Fifty-two diamonds greater than one carat have been
recovered and the four largest stones are: 9.14, 8.58, 8.47 and 7.45 carats,
respectively. In addition, 77 diamonds totaling 1.03 carats were recovered
down to 0.85 millimetre square mesh. The colour of 56.2 percent of the
diamonds has been classified as white, with a further 21.2 percent classified
as off-white.
These batches were recovered from the Early Joli Fou (EJF) (Batches 179B,
180 and 184) and Cantuar (Batches 179A, 233A, 233B, 234A, 234B, 235 and 236)
Kimberlites, as well as some Clean up samples (Batches 226 and 237). The EJF
and three Cantuar batches were recovered from underground bulk sampling within
Shore's 100 percent owned Star Diamond Project while the remaining three
Cantuar batches were recovered to the southwest of the shaft within Star West,
which forms part of the Fort a la Corne Joint Venture (Shore 60%, Newmont
40%). The low grade (2.81 cpht) of Cantuar Batch 179A results from significant
localized (80 percent) mudstone dilution. The Clean up samples were collected
from surface kimberlite stockpile areas. Kimberlite processed and diamond
results for the 12 sample batches are listed in the tables below. Grades are
expressed in carats per hundred tonnes (cpht).
<<
TABLE 1. EJF Kimberlite
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Batch Location Dry Number of Total Grade Largest
No. Tonnes Stones (carats) (cpht) Stone
(carats)
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179B SOUTH 9D 159.82 174 29.25 18.30 2.61
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180 NORTH 6C 30.17 30 4.63 15.35 1.21
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184 NORTH 4 SLASH 60.32 40 4.27 7.08 0.55
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TOTAL 250.31 244 38.15 15.24
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TABLE 2. Cantuar Kimberlite
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Batch Location Dry Number of Total Grade Largest
No. Tonnes Stones (carats) (cpht) Stone
(carats)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
179A SOUTH 9D 94.93 35 2.67 2.81 0.52
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233B SOUTH 9I 99.49 64 7.28 7.32 1.80
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234B SOUTH 9G 59.28 29 7.94 13.39 3.40
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233A SOUTH 9I
(Star West FALC-JV) 215.96 222 31.28 14.48 3.47
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234A SOUTH 9G
(Star West FALC-JV) 303.37 150 26.95 8.88 3.40
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235 SOUTH 9J
(Star West FALC-JV) 344.83 288 49.01 14.21 3.57
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236 SOUTH 9H
(Star West FALC-JV) 356.36 282 81.74 22.94 9.14
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TOTAL 1,474.22 1,070 206.87 14.03
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TABLE 3. Clean Up Batches
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Batch Location Dry Number of Total Grade Largest
No. Tonnes Stones (carats) (cpht) Stone
(carats)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
226 Clean Up 343.25 184 21.41 6.24 2.49
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237 Clean Up 794.24 657 83.67 10.53 4.68
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TOTAL 1,137.49 841 105.08 9.24
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>>
The four largest stones are: 9.14, 8.58, 8.47 and 7.45 carats
respectively. Twenty-five diamonds exceed two carats and 52 diamonds exceed
one carat, of which 22 are white, 17 are off-white, 10 are grey, 2 are brown,
and one is yellow. A total of 127 diamonds exceed 0.5 carats.
Fifty-six percent of this diamond parcel is classified white in colour, with a
further 21.2 percent classified as off-white. 99.7 percent of the carat weight
of this parcel occurs in diamonds greater than 1.18 millimetre square mesh.
Senior Vice President Exploration and Development, George Read, states:
"These results are the final batches of kimberlite to be processed for the
Star underground bulk sample. A total of 68,810 tonnes of kimberlite has been
recovered and processed as the underground bulk sample of the Star Kimberlite.
This processed kimberlite has produced 80,639 diamonds (+0.85 millimetre)
weighing a total of 10,586 carats. The underground bulk sampling of Star has
proved to be a most successful exercise that has provided the Company with
representative diamond grade and price statistics for the various kimberlite
lithologies that make up the Star Kimberlite. The diamond valuation of the
total underground bulk sample from Star is currently underway and the results
will be reported as soon as they become available. All large diameter drilling
(LDD) in the Star Kimberlite is expected to be complete by the end of the year
and will be incorporated with the underground bulk sample and core drilling
information into a NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate expected to be released
by the end of the first quarter 2008."
The diamond recovery procedure includes on-site processing of kimberlite
through the modular Dense Media Separator (DMS), after which DMS concentrates
are batch fed through an X-ray Flow-sort. In order to ensure the recovery of
low luminosity diamonds, the Flow-sort tailings are processed over a grease
table. Flow-sort and grease table concentrates are transported by a secure
carrier to SGS Lakefield Research for final diamond recovery. The SGS
Lakefield Research process includes drying, screening, magnetic separation,
manual sorting and diamond weighing and description. SGS Lakefield Research is
accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard by the Standards Council of Canada as
a testing laboratory for specific tests.
Senior Vice President Exploration and Development, George Read,
Professional Geoscientist in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and British
Columbia, is the Qualified Person responsible for the verification and quality
assurance of analytical results. Shore is a Canadian based corporation engaged
in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares
of the Company trade on the TSX Exchange under the trading symbol "SGF".