Stock Symbol: DIAM: TSX
SASKATOON, Oct. 8, 2019 /CNW/ - George H. Read, P. Geo., Senior Vice President
Exploration and Development of Star Diamond Corporation ("Star
Diamond" or the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that Rio
Tinto Exploration Canada ("RTEC") have completed the drilling of
ten bulk sample holes (trenches) to conclude their program on the
Corporation's Star Kimberlite using the Trench Cutter Sampling Rig.
The Star Kimberlite is located within the Corporation's Star -
Orion South Diamond Project, in the Fort à la Corne diamond
district of central Saskatchewan,
Canada, on mineral dispositions held 100 percent by
Star Diamond. RTEC refers to
Star Diamond's mineral dispositions
in the Fort à la Corne diamond district as Project FalCon. The ten
holes completed on the Star Kimberlite included a total of 2,351
metres of trench cutter drilling and intersected a total of 1,215.5
metres of kimberlite. This kimberlite was pumped to surface and
recovered using a Kimberlite Separation Unit ("KSU"), with samples
loaded and stored in cubic metre bulk bags, which total 6,848 in
number.
![Star Diamond Corporation (CNW Group/Star Diamond Corporation) Star Diamond Corporation (CNW Group/Star Diamond Corporation)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1007334/Star_Diamond_Corporation_Star___Orion_South_Diamond_Project_2019.jpg)
The drilling and sampling statistics for each of these ten
trenches on the Star kimberlite are listed in the table below (in
order of drilling):
RTEC Trench #
|
Days per
Trench
|
Average
Production
(m/day)
|
Total Depth
(m)
|
Samples
Collected
|
Bags
Collected
|
19FALCT001
|
16
|
14.3
|
228.4
|
15
|
703
|
19FALCT004
|
15
|
15.6
|
233.8
|
15
|
771
|
19FALCT003
|
14
|
17.8
|
249.3
|
15
|
873
|
19FALCT007
|
10
|
22.5
|
225.1
|
14
|
613
|
19FALCT006
|
10
|
24.1
|
241.5
|
15
|
705
|
19FALCT005
|
13
|
17.7
|
230.3
|
13
|
683
|
19FALCT009
|
9
|
25.3
|
227.9
|
16
|
579
|
19FALCT008
|
9
|
25.6
|
230.6
|
14
|
543
|
19FALCT002
|
17
|
14.8
|
251.1
|
17
|
806
|
19FALCT010
|
11
|
21.2
|
233.0
|
17
|
572
|
Total
|
124
|
19.0
|
2,351.0
|
151
|
6,848
|
The Trench Cutter Sampling Rig consists of a Bauer BC 50 Cutter
mounted on a Bauer MC 128 Duty-cycle Crane. The depth of each
trench is determined by kimberlite thickness. Trench 19FALCT002
confirmed that the Trench Sampling Rig can reach its designed
sampling depth of 250 metres below surface. The KSU is designed to
recover kimberlite fragments between 80 and 0.85 millimetres from
the Trench Cutter Sampling Rig slurry. Kimberlite collected is
being stored in a secure storage area, until the on-site Bulk
Sample Plant ("BSP") has been fully assembled and commissioned.
Final diamond recovery will then be conducted by RTEC at a secure
off-site facility.
Senior Vice President Exploration and Development, George Read, states: "RTEC have successfully
applied this new sampling technology and completed the trench
cutter bulk sampling program on the Star Kimberlite. This ambitious
sampling program required significant time to assemble all the
components on site, but once it commenced the trench cutter has
operated efficiently and successfully, recovering a large
(estimated by RTEC to be approximately 8,271 wet tonnes) bulk
sample from the Star Kimberlite. Simultaneous to conducting the
trench cutter program, RTEC have been assembling the BSP, which is
now at an advanced stage of construction. Once construction is
completed, RTEC intends to commission the BSP using existing
Orion South kimberlite that was
originally collected by the Corporation from the underground bulk
sampling program performed in early 2009. The use of Orion South material for commissioning the BSP
will help ensure that the BSP is operating at its design capacity
before the commencement of the processing of the trench cutter
samples that were collected from RTEC's 2019 bulk sampling program.
RTEC's bulk sampling program using the Trench Cutter has been
designed to recover high quality kimberlite samples and to help
ensure that diamond breakage is minimized. The successful use of
this new Trench Cutter Sampling Rig technology for the recovery of
kimberlite bulk samples also has the ability to revolutionize
future bulk sampling and mining of kimberlites, particularly for
kimberlites characteristic of the Fort à la Corne diamond district
of central Saskatchewan,
Canada."
Star Diamond Corporation is a Canadian based corporation engaged
in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral
properties. Shares of the Corporation trade on the TSX Exchange
under the trading symbol "DIAM". The Corporation's Fort à la Corne
kimberlites (including the Star - Orion South Diamond Project, or
"Project") are located in central Saskatchewan in close proximity to established
infrastructure, including paved highways and the electrical power
grid, which provide significant advantages for future mine
development.
All technical information in this press release has been
prepared under the supervision of George
Read, Senior Vice-President of Exploration and Development,
a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Provinces of
Saskatchewan and British Columbia and Mark Shimell, Project Manager, a registered
Professional Geoscientist in the Province of Saskatchewan, who are the Corporation's
"Qualified Persons" under the definition of NI 43-101.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined
by certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions
of Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
information is often, but not always, identified by the use of
words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend",
"forecast", "target", "project", "guidance", "may", "will",
"should", "could", "estimate", "predict" or similar words
suggesting future outcomes or language suggesting an outlook. In
particular, statements regarding the Corporation's future
operations, future exploration and development activities or other
development plans constitute forward-looking statements. By their
nature, statements referring to mineral reserves, mineral
resources, PEA or TFFE constitute forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press
release include, but are not limited to, RTEC's and the
Corporation's objectives for the ensuing year, including the bulk
sampling program.
These forward-looking statements are based on the Corporation's
current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information
currently available to it and involve inherent risks and
uncertainties, both general and specific.
Risks exist that forward-looking statements will not be achieved
due to a number of factors including, but not limited to,
developments in world diamond markets, changes in diamond prices,
risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar and other
currencies relative to the US dollar, changes in exploration,
development or mining plans due to exploration results and changing
budget priorities of the Corporation or its partners, the effects
of competition in the markets in which the Corporation operates,
the impact of changes in the laws and regulations regulating mining
exploration, development, closure, judicial or regulatory judgments
and legal proceedings, operational and infrastructure risks and the
additional risks described in the Corporation's most recently filed
Annual Information Form, annual and interim MD&A. The
Corporation's anticipation of and success in managing the foregoing
risks could cause actual results to differ materially from what is
anticipated in such forward-looking statements.
Although management considers the assumptions contained in
forward-looking statements to be reasonable based on information
currently available to it, those assumptions may prove to be
incorrect. When making decisions with respect to the Corporation,
investors and others should not place undue reliance on these
statements and should carefully consider the foregoing factors and
other uncertainties and potential events. Unless required by
applicable securities law, the Corporation does not undertake to
update any forward-looking statement that is made herein.
SOURCE Star Diamond Corporation