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Canada
Ekati Mine

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 Location:
308 km NE from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

  Regional Office:
900 – 606 4 Street SW
Calgary
Alberta, Canada
T2P 1T1
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax+1.403.910.1934
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Fleet
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeOpen Pit & Underground
Commodities
  • Diamond
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Sub-level Retreat
Processing
  • Dense media separation
  • Magnetic separation
  • X-Ray sorting
  • Grease belt/table recovery
Mine Life2033
Dominion Diamond Corporation (now Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd.) operates as a standalone, private company since November 1, 2017. Carat production data has not been publicly available since then.

As of February 2021 when Arctic Canadian Diamond assumed ownership of Ekati, mining operations were focused at Pigeon and Sable open pits and the Misery Underground Mine. However, the mine has now reached a crossroads – conventional mining, both open-pit and underground is set to end in 2024, with the exception of Point Lake open pit which has a mine life up to 2028 and is going through final environmental permitting.
Latest NewsArctic Canadian Diamond Company and IHC Mining Jointly Developing Innovative Underwater Remote Mining System     February 22, 2022


Owners

Source:
CompanyInterestOwnership
Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd. (operator) 90 % Indirect
The Ekati Mine consists of the Core Zone and the Buffer Zone.

Dominion has an 88.9% participating interest in the Core Zone. The remaining interest in the Core Zone is held by 1012986 B.C. Ltd., an entity controlled by Stewart Blusson.

Dominion owns a 100% interest in the Buffer Zone as of June 5, 2017. As part of an arrangement reached in June 2017.

Dominion Diamond Mines ULC is operator and owns an approximate ninety (90) percent controlling interest.

Feb 3, 2021 Dominion Diamond Mines ULC ("Dominion") closed the sale of its Ekati Mine to Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd., a company formed and owned by funds and accounts managed by DDJ Capital Management, Brigade Capital Management, LP and Western Asset Management Company, LLC.

Arctic has acquired substantially all of Dominion’s assets, excluding Dominion’s interest in the joint venture agreement and liabilities relating to the Diavik Diamond Mine.

Deposit Type

  • Kimberlite


Summary:

Bedrock at the Ekati Project is dominated by Archean granitoids, intruded by metagreywackes of the YK Supergroup and transected by Proterozoic mafic dykes. No younger cover sediments are preserved. Bedrock is overlain by Quaternary glacial deposits which are generally less than 5 m thick.

The 45 to 75 Ma kimberlites, part of the Lac de Gras kimberlite field, intrude both the granitoids and metasediments. The kimberlites are mostly small pipe-like bodies (surface area predominantly <3 ha but can reach as much as 20 ha) that typically extend to projected depths of 400–600 m below the current land surface. Kimberlite distribution is controlled by fault zones, fault intersections and dyke swarms.

The kimberlites are made up almost exclusively of volcaniclastic olivine-rich volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK), with lesser mud-rich, resedimented volcaniclastic kimberlite (RVK) and primary volcaniclastic kimberlite (PVK). In rare cases (e.g. Pigeon), pipes are dominated by or include significant proportions of magmatic kimberlite (MK). Economic mineralization is mostly limited to olivine-rich resedimented volcaniclastic and primary volcaniclastic types.

Diamond grades are highly variable. Estimated average grades for kimberlites that have been bulk sampled range from less than 0.05 cpt to more than 4 cpt.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Sub-level Retreat


Summary:

As of 2020, Panda, Koala, Koala North, Fox, and Misery open pits, as well as the Koala, Koala North and Panda underground mines have all are now closed. Five remain as part of the planned mining activities to 2035 (Pigeon, Lynx, Sable and Jay open pits, and Misery underground).

Mining production has been ongoing at Pigeon Pit, and Lynx Pit. Mining production started at Sable
Pit in 2018. Misery Underground (MUG) commencing mining in early 2019. The MUG Project is mined using the sub-level retreat mining method.

Optimization study of the Jay Project is ongoing.

The kimberlite pipes at Ekati are approximately circular in plan view and are generally located within granite, a competent host rock. The ore-waste boundary is abrupt and is readily distinguished by rock type. Ultimate vertical mining depths are 300 m at Misery, 190 m at Pigeon, 300 m at Sable, 140 m at Lynx, and 360 m at Jay.

The open pits are currently mined using conventional truck-shovel operations and are developed in benches that are typically 10 m high. The Jay pit, due to the presence of overburden and significant resedimented kimberlite, will have double bench (30 m) configuration in granite and metasediment, single bench (15 m) configuration in kimberlite, and single bench (10 m) configuration in the overburden. Sable is planned on triple benches (3 x 10 m).

The main truck loading and haulage equipment currently in use are diesel hydraulic shovel/excavators with a bucket capacity of 12 m3 and 90 t capacity off-road haul trucks. The Jay mine plan assumes 225 t capacity off-road haul trucks for ore and waste haulage. The main loading units selected for Jay were 17 m3 loaders and 34 m3 shovels.

The Koala mine was mined as a sub-level/incline cave (SLC), similar to a block cave, and developed with sub-levels spaced 20 m apart vertically and 5 m x 5 m draw points on a 14.5 m spacing (centre to centre). The highest elevation production sub-level is located at 2050L, approximately 160 m below the base of the former Koala open pit. Ore production from the draw points is a combination of the blasted kimberlite and caved kimberlite that lies above the blasted zone through to the pit. As production proceeds, the top of the cave zone below the pit is constantly being drawn down, and the level and profile of the surface expression of the cave zone is closely monitored. Below sub-level 1850L the mine transitions to an incline cave, with the lowest production level located at 1810L.

Kimberlite is transported from the mines via a 1.37 m wide conveyor system hung via chain from the back of the conveyor ramp. The system consists of four main underground conveyor sections plus a surface “stacker” conveyor, with a transfer arrangement between each conveyor. All production mucking is carried out using load haul dump (LHD) vehicles, tramming to the remuck bays or loading 45 t capacity diesel haulage trucks. Ore is dumped into an ore pass system, and fed to a 500 t/h primary mineral sizer before loading onto the 2.4 km long conveyor system from Koala to the process plant. On surface, the radial stacking conveyor discharges to an 8,000 t surface stockpile.

Feb. 22, 2022 - Arctic Canadian Diamond Company (“Arctic”) and IHC Mining have reached an important milestone in the development of an underwater remote mining (URM) system for the extraction of diamond-bearing kimberlite ore from deep open pits at the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The URM system consists of a floating platform, an underwater mining crawler and a land based dewatering plant. Arctic has now awarded IHC Mining with a contract to build and deliver a Launch and Recovery Platform for the URM system. This contract is the first major equipment scope being awarded by Arctic for the URM system, following years of development work.

Arctic and IHC Mining started their cooperation in 2018 to jointly develop an innovative and integrated mining solution. The starting point for the development of the underwater remote mining system was to economically extract kimberlite from marginal kimberlite pipes and from deep extents of completed open pits. An important focus was to develop a mining solution that would have a much lower environmental impact than conventional mining methods. As the URM crawler is only mining the kimberlite ore and minimal waste, it significantly reduces the mine’s footprint. The URM solution could allow the Ekati Diamond Mine to extend its lifetime by at least 10 years.

The various components of the URM system will be tested step by step with a production trial at the mined-out Lynx open pit prior to moving on to larger depleted open pits. The first step will be the flooding of the Lynx pit in summer of 2022. This will be followed by testing of the Launch and Recovery Platform in the summer of 2023 and then by comprehensive URM system testing in the summer of 2024 including a trial mining operation targeting the extraction of approximately 150,000 tonnes of Lynx kimberlite ore.

The URM solution is a technological breakthrough for kimberlite diamond mining. A new innovative solution which originated from deep sea mining and trenching systems has allowed Arctic and IHC Mining to take the next step in the future of diamond-bearing kimberlite mining.


Crushing and Grinding
Flow Sheet: Source
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR)
Sizer ....................... Subscription required 1
Sizer 1
Sizer ....................... Subscription required 1

Summary:

The current plant flow sheet uses conventional diamond process technology and consists of the following main process areas:

Primary crushing: where the ore is fed to a dump pocket by truck or front end loader and crushed using a primary MMD 1300 mineral sizer—the run of mine ore is reduced to approximately -300 mm at this stage; an MMD 1000 is available to improve primary crushing overall equipment efficiency (OEE) when the primary crusher is off line for routine maintenance;

Secondary crushing: where a wet cone crusher reduces the primary crusher product to -75 mm;

Tertiary crushing: where HPGRs liberate locked diamonds from the kimberlite ore, in the size range of -75 +1.0 mm, and from recirculated -28 +10 mm material from the DMS float circuits;

Primary and secondary scrubbing, followed by screening: where crushed ore is wet-scrubbed and screened to produce clean and suitably-sized material for further size reduction (-75 +1.0 mm), and concentrated by DMS treatment (-28 +1.0 mm);

Primary and secondary de-gritting: where unwanted fines (-1.0 mm) are separated from ore.


Processing

  • Dense media separation
  • Magnetic separation
  • X-Ray sorting
  • Grease belt/table recovery

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

The Ekati processing plant was designed with a nameplate capacity of 3,000,000 dmt/a (9,000 dmt/d). Further efficiency improvements are planned to achieve 12,000 dmt/d in conjunction with the Jay project.

The recovery of diamonds from the processing of the host kimberlite ore at the Ekati Diamond Mine includes:
* Primary crushing—redundancy with primary, secondary, and reclaim sizers;
* Stockpiling—used as a buffer between plant and crushing;
* Secondary crushing (wet cone crusher);
* Tertiary crushing and re-crushing for further diamond liberation;
* Sizing, de-gritting, and desanding;
* Dense media separation;
* Final recovery:
- Wet high-intensity magnetic separation;
- Wet X-ray sorting;
- Drying;
- Dry single particle X-ray sorting;
- Grease tables;
- Diamond concentrate weighing and packaging, sorting, and preparation for transport to the Yellowknife sorting and valuation facility.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2017201620152014
Diamond Head Grade, carats/t 1.771.030.760.49

Production:

CommodityUnits20172016201520142013
Diamond k carats 5,2083,7323,1581,6771,216
All production numbers are expressed as mineral.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics202120202019201820172016
Waste  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required19,507,195 wmt29,023,894 wmt22,427 kt21,586 kt
Tonnes processed  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required4,102,545 t3.6 Mt2,940 kt3,618 kt
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required5,036 kt4,649 kt
Daily processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required10,800 t
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at January 31, 2017:

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained carats
Probable 68.9 Mt Diamond 1.5 carats/t 105.4 M carats
Indicated 129.1 Mt Diamond 1.1 carats/t 145.9 M carats
Inferred 20.6 Mt Diamond 1 carats/t 19.8 M carats

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits201720162015
Cash costs Diamond USD 38.8 / carat 86.3 / carat 111.9 / carat

Operating Costs:

Units201720162015
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD 67.587.384.5

Financials:

Units2018201720162015
Capital expenditures (planned) M USD 255  
Sustaining costs M USD 36   28  
Capital expenditures M USD 241   196.5   146.8  
Operating Income M USD -97   -13.6   127.6  
EBITDA M USD 64.9   129.1   229.2  


Heavy Mobile Equipment as of July 31, 2016:
HME TypeModelSizeQuantity
Dozer ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill (long hole) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Drill jumbo (two boom) ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Excavator ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 11 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 10 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 4.4 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Excavator ....................... Subscription required 4.6 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Grader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Grader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required 6.4 ....................... Subscription required
Loader ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Loader (FEL) ....................... Subscription required 9.45 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Loader (FEL) ....................... Subscription required 17 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required 10.5 t ....................... Subscription required
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) ....................... Subscription required 8 t ....................... Subscription required
Shovel ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required
Shovel (hydraulic) ....................... Subscription required 12 cu. m ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 90 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 170 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 225 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (haul) ....................... Subscription required 80 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (underground) ....................... Subscription required 28 t ....................... Subscription required
Truck (water) ....................... Subscription required 100 t ....................... Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 29, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.


Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Annual Information Form 2017
Annual Report 2017
Project Description 2017
Annual Report 2016
Technical Report 2016
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Arctic Canadian Diamond Company and IHC Mining Jointly Developing Innovative Underwater Remote Mining System February 22, 2022
Underwater Remote Mining trials set for 2023 in Arctic Canadian Diamond’s Lynx pit at Ekati December 3, 2021
Dominion Diamond Mines Sells Ekati Mine to Arctic Canadian Diamond Company Ltd. February 3, 2021
Dominion Diamond Mines Granted Court Approval for Sale of Ekati Mine to DDJ Capital Management and Brigade Capital Management December 14, 2020
Dominion Diamond Mines Reaches Agreement to Sell Ekati Mine December 7, 2020
Dominion Diamond Mines Provides Update on Ekati Mine and Sale Process November 13, 2020
Dominion Diamond Mines Provides Update on Sale Process October 9, 2020
Dominion Diamond Mines Provides Update on Sale Process September 16, 2020
Dominion Diamond Mines Reaches Agreement on Key Terms With the Washington Companies to Sell Substantially All of Its Assets May 22, 2020

Aerial view:

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