Debut Diamonds targets MacFadyen Kimberlites

by Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
In: Exploration, In This Issue with 0 Comments

Debut Diamonds began the year on a positive note with its listing on the Canadian National Stock Exchange (CNSX:DI) on December 13, 2011. The once wholly-owned subsidiary of KWG Resources Inc. has as its principal business activity the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties with a primary focus on exploration for kimberlite-hosted diamond deposits.The company has nine diamond exploration projects in Ontario, three of which are funded and currently active with planned expenditures of up to $3.5 million in 2012.Debut Diamonds has both joint venture and wholly-owned properties, including the previously discovered MacFadyen Kimberlites as well as the Pele, Victor West and Uniform Surround claim blocks adjoining the De Beers Victor Mine. The Diagnos Initiative and Kyle Kimberlites are within and adjacent to the Ring of Fire. Other Debut exploration initiatives include the Wawa Project, Nakina Project and its Canada Chrome Corp Glacial Till Sampling joint venture.

Debut completed two exploration financings through MineralFields Group in 2011, closing a $2 million private placement in August and an additional $1.5 million in December. The Debut flow-through units were placed at $0.35 cents.MacFadyen KimberlitesThe company’s first priority is to resume work at its MacFadyen property. MacFadyen is a joint venture between Debut Diamonds and Cliffs Chromite Far North Inc. (formerly Spider Resources Inc.).

The site is on the south shore of the Attawapiskat River about 145 kilometers west of James Bay.

MacFadyen is comprised of three diamondiferous kimberlite pipes that are in close proximity to each other, all within 1.5 kilometres and occur along the same trend. Over 200 sample diamonds have been discovered through drilling done in 1994 and in 2003-2004 by Ashton Mining of Canada and KWG Resources Inc.

“Our former parent company KWG had been exploring for diamonds in the James Bay Lowlands since 1994,” said Chris Meraw, president, Debut Diamonds. “An important discovery of copper and zinc was made with Spider Resources at McFaulds Lake, which started the Ring of Fire staking rush. One year later, KWG and Spider optioned the Freewest claims and hit the Big Daddy chromite discovery. That’s when all KWG diamond exploration activities went on hold, including the copper and zinc because of the major chromite discovery.”

De Beers Canada has been providing Debut with logistics support when working at its five MacFadyen claims adjacent to the Victor Mine. “The area is very remote and not having to build an exploration camp there really helps in keeping our project costs down,” said Meraw.

Nakina Project

The second priority for Debut Diamonds is its Nakina property. There are 28 claims contained in a three by seven kilometre area located 125 kilometres north of Nakina in the James Bay Lowlands. The claims cover a cluster of 33 distinct magnetic features that are interpreted to be potential kimberlite pipes as determined by airborne magnetic data generated in 2010 by the Ontario Geological Survey (OGS).

“We have all the research done and we’re ready to drill,” said Meraw. “These are really exciting claims, and we are hoping to get in there this summer after we conclude our consultation with local First Nation communities.”

Debut Diamonds has allocated approximately $750,000 to pop a hole in each target to determine if they are diamond-bearing kimberlites.

“This low hanging fruit that we have at Nakina wasn’t identified until the 2010 OGS airborne survey,” said Meraw. “It’s a potential swarm of new pipes and nothing quite like this has been seen since discovery of the Attawapiskat swarm at Victor of which De Beers has 16 proven kimberlites and Debut has three”.

Railway Alignment Glacial Till

The third priority project for Debut Diamonds is processing glacial till horizons to recover heavy minerals and kimberlite indicator minerals under a joint venture agreement with KWG Resources and Canada Chrome Corporation.

KWG is providing access to a valuable geotechnical database covering a 330-kilometre north-south corridor through the base metal-rich and diamond-bearing area from Nakina to the Ring of Fire.

The database was created from a mechanized-auger soil sampling program conducted by Golder Associates that collected nearly 6,000 soil samples from 811 borings on claims staked by KWG subsidiary Canada Chrome Corporation. The analysis is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2012.

Heavy minerals can be concentrated from glacial till samples and examined under a binocular microscope, a scanning electron microscope or electron microprobe for particle shape and composition.

Bulk analysis of heavy minerals provides a rapid, low-cost method to screen large volumes of samples that may provide further insight into the source of any heavy minerals or kimberlite indicator minerals found.

Sparkling future

Until recently, Debut’s exploration for diamonds in Ontario had been on hold for a number of years, but the gates have reopened and its projects are moving ahead.

“Canada has become the third largest producer of diamonds in only 15 years and there are going to more diamond mines in Ontario,” predicts Meraw.

www.debutdiamonds.com