overview | geology | maps | past work

July 10th, 2008: Almaden has received encouraging results from its 2008 winter program. The program consisted of further till sampling with a sonic overburden drill at 38 sites located on grid lines two hundred metres apart designed to bracket the possible source or sources of the indicator mineral plume. This program successfully cut the plume off to the east and traced KIMs to this area from the west.  From the 38 drill sites, a total of 5,742 KIMs and possible KIMs were collected. This total is comprised of 1648 peridotitic garnets, 218 possible eclogitic garnets, 6 possible picroilmenites, 30 chromites, 74 chrome diopsides and 3766 olivines. [read more +]

 

The Lac de Gras area diamond project is situated at Mackay Lake in the Northwest Territories, immediately south of the Diavik property and west of the DHK property. 150,000 acres was staked by ATW Resources Ltd. in 1992, which was owned by the following companies: Troymin Resources Corporation (20%) Almaden Resources Corporation (40%) and Williams Creek Explorations Limited (40%) in 1992.

A joint venture with Kennecott Canada Exploration Inc. was agreed to in 1992. Kennecott conducted geophysics and till sampling.  One geophysical anomaly was drilled and proved to be a non- diamondiferous kimberlite pipe. 

The property covers the likely source area of a significant indicator mineral train that is known to be at least 20 kilometers long. Past microprobe work on these indicator minerals identified G10 garnets and other minerals that are interpreted to have been derived from at least one kimberlite source that is also interpreted to be at least moderately diamond-bearing (see Almaden's March 22, 2002 news release). Till sampling efforts in the past have narrowed the indicator mineral source area to roughly 1 by 1.5 kilometers in size. This work was also confirmed by abrasion studies carried out on the indicator minerals, indicated a very local source. Last year this reduced area was covered by electromagnetic, magnetic and gravity ground geophysical surveys. These surveys identified several subtle targets within the interpreted indicator mineral source area. A bathymetric survey of the lake bottom in this area has been recommended in order to give better control for the gravity results. This survey will be completed in the coming summer in preparation for diamond drilling the targets in the field season (February to April) of 2006.

 

Indicator Mineral Chemistry:

A Cr2O3-CaO diagram for kimberlitic garnets recovered in till samples (blue circles) and lake sediment till samples recovered from overburden drill hole 98RC12 (red squares) located within the same indicator mineral train. G9 G10 and low Cr2O3 garnet field boundaries are from Gurney, 1984.* (*Gurney, J.J., 1984. A correlation between garnets and diamonds. In: Glover, J.E., Harris, P.G. (Eds.), Kimberlite occurrence and origins: a Basis for Conceptual Models in Exploration. Geology Department and University Extension, University of Western Australia, Publication 8, 143-166).

 

 

1992 : Lac de Gras is optioned to Kennecott.

March 1999 : The Company staked an additional 7 claims totalling 15,495 acres to further cover the area in the direction up-ice from the indicator mineral train.  These claims were transferred to Kennecott to be part of the ATW agreement and Kennecott reimbursed all staking costs. Under the period of option to Kennecott the area of this indicator mineral train was never flown for airborne geophysics.

May 2001: ATW and its shareholders have signed a letter of intent with Kennecott whereby their interest in the project will revert to ATW. Aber Resourcces Ltd. and SouthernEra Ltd. together have a 25% interest in the project obtained under terms of their original agreement with Kennecott. Subsequent to signing this letter of intent, ATW has flown the indicator mineral train discovered by Kennecott with airborne geophysics. The company has received the results of this survey, a map from which is shown below

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April 2002 : The drilling program is completed and no kimberlite was found. Further work is being planned for the property which may include sonic drilling and geophysics. Please see press release April 4th 2002.

April 2003 : A till sampling program has been completed on the ATW property. Seventy-seven holes were drilled to recover samples of basal till in order to determine the source of a 20 kilometre long kimberlitic indicator mineral train in glacial till. This train had previously been traced easterly and up ice to within five kilometres from a fence of holes which did not encounter indicator minerals, outlining a source area for the kimberlitic body. This source area was tested by the current drill program. Picking and identification of indicator minerals from the samples is still not complete.

March 2004 : A magnetic and electromagnetic geophysics program was completed in December 2003 and several subtle anomalies were identified. No drilling is contemplated this winter.