Ekati Diamond Mine
The Ekati Diamond Mine is Canada's first diamond mine. It is located at Lac de Gras 300 km northeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and 200 km south of the Arctic Circle. Ekati is a joint venture between the Dominion Diamond Corporation (80 %), and the two geologists Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson (* 1939) (10% ), the kimberlite discovered north of Lac de Gras.
History
The mineral resources were discovered in 1991 by Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson who already studied almost ten years in this region and already discovered kimberlite in 1985. Ekati was officially opened on 14 October 1998 and is operated by the Dominion Diamond Corporation. By land the mine is accessible via the commercially-operated ice road Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road only two months a year.
Reduction
Between 1998 and 2011 the mine promoted more than 50 million carats of diamonds over-and underground mining. Production is expected to continue until at least 2019.
Trivia
The Ekati mine was part of the documentary series Ice Road Truckers, which was produced by The History Channel and broadcast in Germany on RTL.