North of 60 Mining News - The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North

North Arrow Minerals Inc. June 28 announced the start of a C$3.2M exploration program at its Naujaat (formerly Qilalugaq) and Mel diamond projects in Nunavut.

This work includes 4,500-meter drill program better delineate the kimberlite Q1-4 kimberlite at the Nujaat project, which is about nine kilometers (5.6 miles) from the Hamlet of Naujaat (Repulse Bay). Testing the area of the kimberlite from 200 to 300 meters below surface is the primary target for this program.

"We are pleased that drilling is underway at the Naujaat project for the first time in over 12 years," said North Arrow President and CEO Ken Armstrong. "The current program will provide important information to confirm and update the size of the Q1-4 kimberlite as well as improve our understanding of its internal geology and diamond distribution within the deposit."

North Arrow plans to collect a 200-metric-ton mini-bulk sample from the highest grade phase of the Q1-4 kimberlite, which will be used to better characterize the macro-diamond population, including a population of rare, fancy orangey yellow diamonds.

"The 2017 mini-bulk sample will advance this evaluation by providing an indication of the characteristics of these rare, colored diamonds in the highest grade phase of the deposit and will help with planning a larger bulk sampling program in 2018," Armstrong said.

North Arrow field crews will also be conducting a program of detailed prospecting and geophysical surveys at Mel, a diamond project on the Melville Peninsula, roughly 210 kilometers (130 miles) northeast of Naujaat.

Prospecting will focus on areas up-ice from at least two, and possibly three, kimberlite indicator mineral trains defined by previous sampling.

Anomalous samples in this area suggest a very close proximity to a kimberlite bedrock source.

-SHANE LASLEY