Fornax Yields Large Diamonds
VANCOUVER, October 28, 2003 -- Diamonds North Resources Ltd. (DDN-TSX Venture) announces diamond results for the Fornax - Carina kimberlite area. A composite 28.18 kilogram sample from the Fornax kimberlite body yielded 16 diamonds. Three (19%) of the diamonds are classified as macrodiamonds including one stone (6%) greater than 1mm in two dimensions as detailed in the tables below. The Fornax kimberlite is a new discovery from the jointly funded Diamonds North - Teck Cominco Limited 2003 work program on the Blue Ice Project, Victoria Island. .
Diamonds recovered - Full Square Mesh Sieve results:
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Sieve Sizes (mm)
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Wt
Kimberlite (Kg) +0.850 +0.600 +0.425 + 0.300 +0.212 +0.150 +0.100 TOTAL
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Fornax 28.18 1 0 1 0 0 7 7 16
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Diamonds recovered:
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DIAMONDS RECOVERED
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Kimberlite Wt (kg) Total +0.5 mm +1.0 mm
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1 Axis 2 Axes 1 Axis 2 Axes
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Fornax 28.18 16 3 2 1 1
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The two largest stones from Fornax have the following dimensional measurements:
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Two largest stones (mm)
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X Y Z
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1.28 1.08 0.87
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0.57 0.51 0.43
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The Full Square Mesh Sieve results demonstrate a favourable diamond size distribution highlighting the presence of larger diamond sizes. Diamond results for the Fornax kimberlite, centrally located on the 20-kilometre long Galaxy Kimberlite Structure, continue to demonstrate the occurrence of a high number of macrodiamonds along the structure. The recovery of a macrodiamond exceeding 1mm in size on the +0.850mm sieve from a 28.18 kilogram sample is very encouraging, elevating the priority of the central portion of the Galaxy Kimberlite Structure.
Fornax is approximately 8 kilometres northwest of the Snow Bunting kimberlite (see October 15, 2003 news release) and about 1 kilometre southeast of the Carina kimberlite. Drill holes BI-03-01 (drilled at -50o inclination) and BI 03-02 (drilled at -80o inclination) intersected three kimberlite dykes with the main body measuring 1.35 metres true width. The Fornax kimberlite is a hard competent macrocrystic olivine-rich hypabyssal kimberlite with mantle derived indicator minerals. Two samples, one from each of the Fornax drill holes, were combined to form the composite sample weighing 28.18 kilograms.
At the Carina kimberlite, discovered in 2002 and described in a news release dated October 10, 2002, drill hole BI 03-03 drilled at --55o intersected 5.93 metres (3.40 metres true width) of kimberlite. A 15.94 kilogram sample collected from Carina in 2003 yielded three diamonds: two that remain on the 0.100 mm sieve and one that remains on the 0.212 mm sieve. The 2003 diamond counts from this smaller sample are slightly lower than the 23.69 kilogram sample of upper Carina kimberlite that yielded 8 diamonds in 2002. Lower Carina kimberlite intersected in 2002 yielded 78 diamonds from a 68.72 kilogram sample. Due to difficult drilling and budgetary constraints no further drilling was attempted on Carina in 2003.
Both of the Carina and Fornax kimberlites are outlined by large geophysical anomalies (140m x 265m and 100m x 240m respectively). Further work is required to better understand the relationship between the geophysical anomalies and the relatively small kimberlite bodies intersected. Based on geophysical interpretation and drilling, it appears that the two kimberlites form a multiple dyke system nearly 1 kilometre long, with the total thickness of the dykes unresolved.
Kimberlite samples were split and logged in secure facilities at the field camp by qualified geoscientists. Samples were securely sealed in solid containers and shipped by air to SGS Lakefield Research in Ontario. SGS Lakefield's standard caustic fusion diamond recovery method was utilized for all samples. SGS Lakefield is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada to the ISO 17025 standard for specific registered tests.
Diamonds North Resources Ltd. is a diamond exploration company with ten projects covering over two million acres of land in Canada's Nunavut and Northwest Territories. Eight projects are located on Victoria Island and two projects are adjacent to the De Beers/Mountain Province Kennady Lake advanced stage discovery.
On behalf of Diamonds North Resources Ltd.
Mark Kolebaba
President
For further information, please contact:
Corporate Communications:
Nancy Curry
Diamonds North Resources Ltd.
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Website: diamondsnorthresources.com
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