The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 101
Gahcho Kué Mine production matched 2022 numbers, but a steep diamond price decline made 2023 more challenging for Mountain Province. Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. April 1 announced the financial and operating results of 2023 as well as its performance results from the fourth quarter at its Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, ultimately seeing a downturn from its record 2022 due to oversupply in the diamond market. Owned under a joint venture between M...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Jan. 23 reported its production and sales results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023 from its Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Northwest Territories, Canada, underscoring the slow recovery of the diamond sector in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Located about 280 kilometers (175 miles) northeast of Northwest Territories' capital city, Yellowknife, Gahcho Kué is a diamond mine owned and operated by a joint venture between De Beers C...
With a summer marred by unprecedented wildfires behind them, companies exploring the mineral-rich Northwest Territories are reporting impressive results from their 2023 programs. Seeking new deposits of valuable minerals, ranging from ever-popular diamonds and precious metals to recently designated "critical minerals," such as lithium, rare earth elements and zinc, a score of explorers took to the field across the territory. "An exciting new chapter is emerging for mining in t...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. March 23 reported that strong diamond prices during 2022 resulted in the company's highest-ever annual revenue from the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. Owned under a joint venture between Mountain Province (49%) and De Beers Canada Inc. (51%), Gahcho Kué produced 5.52 million carats of diamonds during 2022. While this is a 12% drop from the 6.23 million carats produced during 2021, higher diamond values last year more than m...
The increasing number of electric vehicles charged with renewable energy, connected to 5G networks, and boasting the computing power of 200 laptops to autonomously traverse global highways is creating a meteoric rise in demand for the minerals and metals critical to clean energy and high-tech. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, the foremost authority on lithium battery supply chains, estimates that more than 300 new mines will need to come online by 2035 – just to produce the c...
In its effort to identify and delineate diamond-rich kimberlites that will extend the life of Gahcho Kué Mine in Northwest Territories beyond 2030, Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. is involved with exploration on two fronts. Located about 280 kilometers (175 miles) northeast of the NWT capital city of Yellowknife, Gahcho Kué is a diamond mine owned and operated by a joint venture between De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province (49%). Going into 2022, Gahcho Kué ho...
Mining activity in Northwest Territories held steady in 2022 despite constraints imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a cadre of mainly junior mining companies took up the international challenge to seek out large deposits of critical minerals. Early in the year, government officials noted that industry interest in diamonds, gold, and especially critical minerals boded well for the NWT economy in the coming year. "An exciting new chapter is emerging for mining in the...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Aug. 31 announced the upcoming sale of diamonds from the Gahcho Kué mine in Canada's Northwest Territories will include a 151.6 carat colored octahedron of exceptional clarity. Co-owned by De Beers Canada (51%) and Mountain Province (49%), Gahcho Kué has become known as a source of exceptional, gem-quality, large diamonds since going into production in 2016. The 157.4-carat Polaris, which appears colorless in daylight but shines with a deep b...
Strong diamond prices are helping Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. overcome higher diesel costs, a slower-than-expected post-COVID ramp up of operations, and a primary crusher bearing failure during the first quarter at the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Northwest Territories. During the second quarter of 2022, Gahcho Kué produced 1.26 million carats of diamonds, which is a 6% improvement over the first quarter but down 29% from the second quarter of 2021. This sharp decrease compa...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Jan. 25 announced that it received US$25 million (C$31.5 million) from the sale of 181,851 carats of diamonds recovered from the Gahcho Kué Mine in Northwest Territories. The US$137 (C$173) per carat average value for the diamonds in the Jan. 21 sale in Antwerp, Belgium, is 84% higher than the average price of US$75 million (C$94) per carat that Mountain Province realized for the 3.3 million carats of diamonds the company sold during 2020....
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Dec. 31 provided details of a proposed US$50 million financing arrangement with Dermot Desmond, the Canadian diamond mining company's largest shareholder. Mountain Province owns a 49% interest in the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, and De Beers Canada Inc. owns the other 51%. Operating a mine like Gahcho Kué in Canada's North requires that all major supplies for the year are procured and delivered via an ice road d...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Jan. 13 reported that the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories produced 6.23 million carats of diamonds during 2021, just below the guidance of 6.3 million to 6.5 million carats set out for the operation at the beginning of the year. This near-guidance production is despite an unplanned 22-day shutdown of the mine in February due to COVID-19. Owned under a joint venture between Mountain Province (49%) and De Beers Canada Inc...
Mineral exploration activity in Northwest Territories showed signs of revival in 2021, coming on the heels of the slowest year in recent memory. Excited by renewed interest in gold deposits in and around the capital city of Yellowknife and other hot spots after the pandemic-related restrictions of 2020, juniors joined longtime explorers Nighthawk Gold Corp. and Gold Terra Resource Corp. (formerly TerraX Minerals) in hunting for the yellow metal across the 1.14...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. has two active exploration programs focused on discovering new diamond-rich kimberlites to extend the life of Gahcho Kué, a diamond mine in Northwest Territories owned under a joint venture between De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province (49%). The first program, which is carried out by the Gahcho Kué Joint Venture, is focused on exploring for discoveries across the 5,216-hectare (12,889 acres) Gahcho Kué property that can extend th...
With a new outbreak of COVID-19 cases, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to be a challenge for the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories. When it comes to the mining sector, diamond producers were particularly hard hit by the pandemic, which has now endured for nearly two years. In addition to the COVID-19 restrictions and protocols that challenged all businesses, diamond miners faced the closure of diamond trading floors that cut off traditional...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. July 13 reported an increase in diamond production at Gahcho Kué during the second quarter, putting the Northwest Territories mine on pace to reach at least the 6.3-million-carat lower end of the company's guidance for 2021. Gahcho Kué, which is owned by De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province (49%), produced 1.76 million carats of diamonds during the second quarter, which is 14% higher than the second quarter of 2020 and a 27% jump o...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. April 13 reported a drop in diamond production at Gahcho Kué due to an unplanned 22-day shutdown related to the February COVID-19 outbreak at the Northwest Territories mine. Diamond production at Gahcho Kué, which is owned by De Beers Canada Inc. (51%) and Mountain Province (49%), was shut down on Feb. 6 after several crew members tested positive for COVID-19. The partners began ramping up production again on Feb. 26, no easy task in the d...
Long before COVID-19 became a household name for a global pandemic, remote mining camps have needed to take precautions to ensure more common illnesses did not spread amongst the crewmembers that share common working, eating, sleeping, and lounging quarters. Now, they are tasked with battling a coronavirus that hides itself longer and is more severe than the common cold or flu. And, despite extensive testing and transmission prevention protocols, COVID-19 continues to find...
For many mining companies eyeing prospects in Canada's far north, 2020 presented insurmountable challenges. But for the few explorers and producers focused on Northwest Territories, the year proved to be quite productive, even as a global coronavirus pandemic added expensive restrictions to already costly campaigns. Rigorous restrictions imposed by local and federal officials to quell potential outbreaks of the disease at mining camps and prevent its spread to local...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Jan. 25 reported that it received C$27.8 million (US$21.8 million) from the sale of 241,827 carats of diamonds recovered from the Gahcho Kué Mine in Northwest Territories. The C$115 (US$90) per carat average value for the diamonds in the Jan. 22 sale in Antwerp, Belgium was 69% higher than the average price of C$68 per carat (US$51 per carat) that Mountain Province realized for the 3.3 million carats of diamonds the company sold during 2020....
After enduring the multiple challenges of being a diamond miner through the COVID-19 pandemic, Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ended 2020 strong and is positioned well for 2021. "Under very difficult circumstances, all driven by COVID-19, the Gahcho Kué Mine has performed well in being able to maintain production albeit at a reduced level and came very close to the revised guidance in tonnes mined and treated and exceeded the revised guidance target for carats recovered,"...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Oct. 15 reported increased production at Gahcho Kué during the third quarter as crews at the Northwest Territories diamond mine adjust to COVID-19 protocols. A total of 9.88 million metric tons of ore and waste material was mined at Gahcho Kué during the third quarter. This is down about 16% from mine production during the same period of 2019. The lower quarterly mine production compared to same period last year is reduced personnel, travel rest...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Nov. 2 announced it received C$45.7 million (US$34.3 million) from the Oct. 30 sale of 559,528 carats of diamonds from the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories at an average price of US$61 per carat. This marks the Mountain Province's second traditional commercial sale since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are pleased with the result of our second post COVID-19 sale despite the ongoing challenges during the...
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Sept. 21 reported that it received US$89 million from the sale of 210,661 carats of diamonds from the Gahcho Kué Mine in Northwest Territories. This Sept. 19 sale in Antwerp, Belgium represents the company's first traditional commercial sale since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mountain Province owns a 49% joint venture interest in the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in Canada's Northwest Territories – De Beers Canada Inc. owns the rem...
Though world diamond markets remain closed after their shutdown this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, diamond mining in Canada's North is showing signs of life. One mine, Ekati, shut down in the spring remains closed and most explorers have delayed field work until 2021, an intrepid few are reporting pre-pandemic progress and post-pandemic activities. In the spring, the governments of Northwest Territories and Nunavut imposed strict operating guidelines for all...
