LOCATION
The Buffalo Hills Property is located ~400 km northwest of Edmonton, in the Buffalo Head Hills Region of Alberta
SIZE
21 mineral leases covering ~ 4,800 ha
GEOLOGY
The Buffalo Head Hills Region is underlain by Precambrian basement rocks of the Buffalo Head terrane, and by Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. The Buffalo Head terrane is defined primarily by geophysics and is composed of rocks 2.0 to 2.3 billion years old. Paleozoic and Mesozoic units up to 5,000 m thick overlie the basement. The kimberlites have intruded Cretaceous mudstones and sandstones that are 100 to 80 million years old. These kimberlites yield age dates of ~85 million years.
The Peace River Arch, an east-northeast-trending asymmetrical structure extending from British Columbia to northeastern Alberta, is the dominant structure in the area. The entire region was glaciated during the Laurentide ice advance which during its retreat deposited a blanket of till, lake sediment and glaciofluvial sediment up to 200 m thick. Historic exploration in the area resulted in the discovery of 41 kimberlites.
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS
The Buffalo Hills Property is located within the Buffalo Head Hills Region of Northern Alberta. This region hosts the third largest district of diamond-bearing kimberlites in Canada, after Lac de Gras in the Northwest Territories and Fort à la Corne in Saskatchewan. To date, a total of 26 diamondiferous kimberlite pipes have been discovered on the Buffalo Hills Property. These kimberlites range in size from one to 47 hectares (ha).
EXPLORATION SUMMARY (1996 - 2010)
38 kimberlite pipes have been discovered on the Buffalo Hills Property, 26 of which are diamondiferous. Six of these pipes have known economic potential. Previous exploration included geological mapping and prospecting, basal till sampling, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, reverse circulation and diamond core drilling, and mini-bulk and bulk sampling. The highest grade kimberlite discovered was K252, with an estimated grade of 55 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht). K6, K14, K91 and K252 are the four most prospective kimberlites, and these were the focus of later follow-up drill programs.
| ACTIVITY | TOTAL |
|---|---|
| Mapping/Prospecting | yes |
| Basal Till Sampleing (#) | 1,122 |
| Geophysical Airborne Surveys (line km) | 158,563 |
| Geophysical Ground Surveys (line km) | 2,481 |
| Drilling (RC) (#(m)) | 90 (11,114) |
| Drilling (DDH) (#(m)) | 202 (26,899) |
| Kimberlites Discovered | 38 |
Mini-Bulk and Bulk-Sampling of Potentially Economic Kimberlites
| Kimberlite | Tonnes | Diamonds (cts) | Grade (cpht) | Sample Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K6 | 19.65 | 1.42 | 7.20 | Mini-Bulk Sample |
| K11 | 21.85 | 0.96 | 4.4 | |
| K14 | 44.87 | 7.79 | 17.36 | |
| K14 Pit - 01 | 43.56 | 3.19 | 7.32 | |
| K14 Pit - 02 | 45.22 | 3.96 | 8.76 | |
| K14 Pit - 03 | 48.22 | 3.96 | 8.21 | |
| K91 | 35.87 | 4.56 | 12.71 | |
| BH225 | 1.00 | 0.03 | 3.00 | |
| K252 | 22.80 | 12.54 | 55.00 | |
| K14 | 479.00 | 56.45 | 11.78 | Bulk Sample |
| K6 | 231.89 | 16.28 | 7.02 |
OWNERSHIP
The Buffalo Hills Property is a Joint Venture between Canterra (50%) and Star Diamonds Corporation (50%). Canterra is the operator of the project.