RE: News Arctic Star finds diamond indicators at Credit Lake
2005-03-14 18:44 ET - News Release
Mr. Buddy Doyle reports
CREDIT LAKE PROPERTY UPDATE
Arctic Star Diamond Corp. has received the results from its 2004 till sampling program on the Credit Lake property, 35 kilometres southwest of the Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories. The results show three clusters of diamond indicator mineral anomalies, one in the east, one central and one in the west of the property. The cluster in the east may consist of several sources. All three terminate within the property confines. The DIM anomalies form elongated trains with sharp edges characteristic of glacial dispersion from the southeast to the northwest, and are similar to other known DIM anomalies linked to kimberlites found within the Lac de Gras diamondiferous kimberlite field. The oxide chemistry from electron probe analysis demonstrates the chemistry of the Credit Lake DIM is equivalent to that of some of the more diamond rich pipes in the Lac de Gras field including numerous G10 high chrome, low calcium garnets, reported from all the anomalies. It is expected on this basis that the source or sources of the Credit Lake DIM anomalies will be diamondiferous.
Microscope inspection of grains from the two eastern DIM anomalies are reporting numerous pyrope grains with kelyphite rims (kelyphite is a soft alteration mineral that often coats pyrope), and one with kimberlite material attached. Honeycomb textures on chrome diopside grains have also been observed. All this evidence along with the angularity of all the DIMs suggests that the source of these grains is in close proximity.
The focus of exploration now will transfer from the geochemical work mentioned above to geophysics. The geochemistry has narrowed down the source zone of the two main anomalies to a two-kilometre by two-kilometre area. Ground-based geophysics focused in these zones will be used to check possible drill targets. Airborne magnetic data have already revealed several targets worthy of ground follow-up within the zones. Ground gravity surveys will also completed.
The geophysical crews will be mobilized in the last week of March, with a drill rig and crew being mobilized soon after in the first week of April. The drill rig will test the more promising geophysical anomalies generated by the work on the ground. At least 12 targets will be drill tested.