VANCOUVER, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Snowfield Development Corp. ("Snowfield") is pleased to update the status of its program, currently underway, to extract a bulk sample of up to 500 tonnes of kimberlite from its Mud Lake diamondiferous kimberlite discovery. The discovery is part of Snowfield's Ticho Diamond Project located approx. 55 km South East of Yellowknife. The Mud Lake kimberlite, a series of stacked kimberlite sills, is being accessed by an all weather road constructed by Snowfield from the shore of Great Slave Lake to the bulk sample site. After extraction and some preliminary processing the kimberlite will be barged to a public highway access point for onward trucking to Grande Prairie, Alberta. As previously announced, once in Grande Prairie, the kimberlite will be further refined by De Beers Canada Exploration Ltd. through their Dense Media Separation Plant. Once the kimberlite has been concentrated by De Beers, it is Snowfield's intention to split the concentrate into up to 3 batches for further processing and diamond recovery. The diamond recovery will be done by 2 independent laboratories in Canada and by De Beers laboratory in South Africa. As previously stated, De Beers are providing the use of their Grande Prairie DMS Plant at no cost to Snowfield and with no obligation from Snowfield.
To take advantage of the availability of a larger higher efficiency drill and accompanying crew to expedite the bulk sample extraction, Snowfield has contracted North West Rock Services to assist in the removal of a granite cap covering the kimberlite sills. This will entail the blasting and removal of approximately 15,000 cubic meters of granite, thus creating access for the removal of the kimberlite. In employing this new equipment and crew, the starting methodology will be to pre-drill the entire remaining ramp as it declines through the granite. The holes will then be charged and the approximately 15,000 cubic meters of granite will be fired in one blast. This will speed up the removal of the blasted rock as the contractor anticipates that over 50% of the blasted rock can be moved to a wind row on the side of the ramp utilizing the blasting process. It is expected that this method should be completed by the end of October. The barge operator has assured Snowfield that he anticipates being able to supply his barging services up until a least mid November.
Snowfield still awaits sample results from till samples taken from an area approximately 1 km East of Mud Lake. The laboratory has told Snowfield that they anticipate being able to provide these results to Snowfield by the end of October. These results will be instrumental in picking drill targets for follow-up drilling by Snowfield to confirm the existence of a second kimberlite body on the Ticho Project. Previous sampling (NR06-33) has indicated the existence of this kimberlite and Snowfield is prepared to start drilling as soon as targets have been identified.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Snowfield Development Corp
"Robert T. Paterson"
Robert T. Paterson
President and Director
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CONTACT: Snowfield Development Corp., 508 - 675 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6B 1N2, Tel: (604) 681-5720, Fax: (604) 681-6937, Toll Free: 1-800-859-6463,
