At the Canabrava joint venture in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state, Teck (TEK-T) will continue with exploration drilling through 1997.
The company holds an option to earn an initial 60% interest from Canabrava Diamond (CNB-V). The project, situated 400 km southeast of the capital city of Brasilia, comprises 26 properties totalling 890,000 ha. The project currently hosts more than 500 priority airborne magnetic targets.
Teck is drill testing the anomalies in an effort to locate the source of alluvial diamonds that have been recovered from streams within the project area. Ten separate clusters of anomalies have been identified at the headwaters of these streams.
To date, 74 kimberlite pipes have been discovered, and another 196 magnetic targets have been prepared for drilling.
Small samples of drill cuttings are being processed and analyzed for indicator mineral chemistry at laboratory facilities in Patos. Limited laboratory space, however, has resulted in a backlog of samples and a waiting period of two months. Teck is currently constructing a plant capable of handling 500 litres of material per hour. The plant is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 1997.
In the meantime, Lakefield Research is conducting caustic dissolution analysis on larger 80-kg samples from five kimberlite pipes.
Be the first to comment on "Teck advances Canabrava"