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Diamond Exploration and Mining Heating Up In North America _______________
Diamond exploration in Canada has led to a major new industry that did not exist prior to six years ago. Yet today, Canada ranks as one of the world’s leading producers of gem-quality diamonds. Fifteen percent of the world’s diamonds are now being mined in Canada, which surpassed production from South Africa last Spring.
The diamonds are recovered from just two mines in the Northwestern Territories, and significant discoveries at several other localities has led to the discovery of 500 kimberlites (one of the principal host rocks for diamond) and proposals to add four additional diamond mines before the end of the decade.
Canadian diamond production in 2003 amounted to 11.2 million carats resulting in a $1.7 billion per year industry where none existed prior to 1998. The value of raw diamond production is dramatically increased as the rough stones are faceted by Canadian gem cutters and mounted in jewelry to be sold for more than 10 times the raw value.
In other words, the Canadian economy has taken a major, multi-billion dollar boost due to mining and added hundreds of new jobs.
Can this happen in Wyoming? According to W. Dan Hausel, senior economic geologist at the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS), the possibilities are good.
Wyoming is underlain by the same kind of rocks found in Canada (see map 1), and essentially the entire state has high potential for the discovery of commercial diamond deposits. Some companies are starting to recognize these similarities, and over the past month, several companies and consultants have contacted the WSGS for information on the potential diamond deposits.
Wyoming
already
has
several
known
gem
and
industrial
diamond
deposits
and
has
an
incredible
number
of
“kimberlitic
indicator
mineral
anomalies,”
indicating
that
there
could
easily
be
hundreds
of
hidden
deposits
waiting
to
be
found.
Kimberlitic
indicator
mineral
anomalies,
according
to
Hausel,
are
rare
minerals
that
are
eroded
from
nearby
diamond
pipes
or
dikes
that
are
usually
recovered
in
gold
pans.
After
they
are
found,
a
prospector
will
continue
panning
up
stream
until
the
mineral
anomaly
disappears.
At
that
point,
the
diamond
deposit
typically
lies
somewhere
(usually
buried)
nearby.
Wyoming
has
22
known
diamond
pipes.
Twenty
are
found
in
the
State
Line
district
south
of
Laramie
(see
map
2),
with
another
20
found
in
Colorado.
One
diamond
pipe
occurs
at
Iron
Mountain
north
of
Cheyenne,
and
another
diamond-bearing
rock
is
found
at
Cedar
Mountain
southeast
of
Ft.
Bridger.
Diamonds
have
also
been
found
or
reported
in
the
Powder
River
Basin
near
Gillette,
at
three
different
localities
in
the
Medicine
Bow
Mountains,
in
the
Sierra
Madre,
Wind
River,
Gros
Ventre
and
Granite
Mountains,
as
well
as
in
the
Butcherknife
Draw
area
south
of
Green
River.
Additional information on locating diamonds in Wyoming can be found in the December 2003 issue of ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal, “Searching For Placer Diamonds,” by W. Dan Hausel, Senior Economic Geologist, Wyoming State Geological Survey. |
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