North Arrow Minerals Inc. today presented an update on its exploration projects in the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan, including new microdiamond results from the Loki Diamond Project.  

The Loki Diamond Project, which is 100% owned by North Arrow is located in the Lac de Gras region, approximately 30 km southwest, and 24 km west of the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines, respectively, and immediately adjacent to the west of North Arrow's LDG Joint Venture Diamond Project with Dominion.

“During the spring of 2018 North Arrow discovered kimberlite 465 and drilled a previously untested portion of kimberlite EG05,” North Arrow stated. “The discovery of 465 represented the first kimberlite discovery in the Lac de Gras region in over 5 years.”  The Company has received caustic fusion results of drill core samples from both kimberlites.    

North Arrow’s ongoing kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) characterisation study has confirmed EG05 hosts “a full suite of KIMs including pyrope and eclogitic garnet, chrome diopside, picroilmenite and chromite”.

The Company further reported that the kimberlite remains “unconstrained” by drilling completed to date and it is currently planning a detailed ground gravity survey “in an attempt to better define the extents of the pipe”.

North Arrow added: “The recovery of a single microdiamond from 465 is in line with initial results of petrographic logging and KIM characterisation which suggest the kimberlite contains a limited mantle sample. There are no plans for further work on the kimberlite.”

The LDG Joint Venture, in the Northwest Territories, of which Dominion is operator, has an ongoing exploration programme running on its 147,000 ha of land. “During the spring of 2018, Dominion completed 31 shallow reverse circulation (RC) exploration drill holes in eight target areas and 7 diamond drill holes (1,013m) in two target areas,” North Arrow reported. “No new kimberlites were discovered however the Big Blue kimberlite, one of three known kimberlites within the project, was tested by a single RC hole and by two vertical diamond drill holes. Drill core from Big Blue has undergone detailed petrographic logging and samples have been submitted for KIM characterization and microdiamond analyses.”

North Arrow is awaiting final details on the drilling campaigns which will be reported to the Company at the end of the programme.

“During August 2018, 93 overburden RC holes and 9 hand dug sample pits were completed in 13 target areas,” North Arrow said, further. “Till samples collected from this work are presently undergoing heavy mineral processing with the goal of better defining KIM dispersal trains down ice from the target areas.”

Once the till sample results are in, they will be used “to prioritise targets” for additional discovery type drilling during the winter 2019 field season.

The approved budget for the 2018 exploration programme amounting to US$ 4 million is being fully funded by Dominion and, as a result, North Arrow expects its interest in the joint venture to be diluted to approximately 25%, the Company declared.

North Arrow also announced that it has staked additional mineral claims in the vicinity of its 100% owned Pikoo Diamond Project in Saskatchewan, increasing the project area to 39,752 ha. “Planning is underway for renewed till sampling at the project in spring of 2019 in an effort to better define existing targets and to identify new target areas on the expanded property,” the Company said.

Ken Armstrong, President and CEO of North Arrow stated, "Exploration drilling programs were completed during the 2018 field season at the Loki and LDG Projects. This work was highlighted by North Arrow's discovery of kimberlite 465 at Loki, the first publicly reported kimberlite discovery in the Lac de Gras region in over five years, demonstrating the potential for additional new discoveries in the area. Furthermore, recent claim staking has increased North Arrow's Pikoo Diamond Project area in anticipation of renewed exploration in 2019. This work is part of our corporate strategy of evaluating a pipeline of prospective diamond properties in Canada and is in addition to the ongoing evaluation of newly discovered diamondiferous kimberlite at the Mel Project (NU) and detailed planning in advance of renewed bulk sampling work on the Q1-4 kimberlite at the Naujaat Project (NU). North Arrow is presently evaluating five Canadian projects known to host kimberlite, including four projects where the kimberlites are known to be significantly diamondiferous."