ekati diamond mine site tour

25
DOMINION DIAMOND CORPORATION Canada’s Largest Independent Diamond Producer and Third Largest Producer Globally by Value Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour - 2015

Upload: phamhanh

Post on 12-Jan-2017

252 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

DOMINION DIAMOND

CORPORATIONCanada’s Largest Independent Diamond Producer

and Third Largest Producer Globally by Value

Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour - 2015

Page 2: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Forward Looking Information 2

Caution Regarding Forward Looking InformationCertain information included in this presentation constitutes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities laws. Forward-looking

information relates to management’s future outlook and anticipated events or results, and can include statements or information regarding plans for mining, development,

production and exploration activities at the Company’s mineral properties, sales estimates, expected sales, and expected operating costs. Forward-looking information

included in this presentation includes the estimated mine life and other plans, timelines and targets for mining, development, permitting, production and exploration activities at

the Ekati Diamond Mine, estimated reserves and resources at the Ekati Diamond Mine, production, capital and operating cost estimates for the Ekati Diamond Mine.

Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions, including, among other things, the current mine plan the Ekati Diamond Mine; construction and

exploration activities at the Ekati Diamond Mine; the timely receipt of required regulatory approvals; mining methods; currency exchange rates; estimates related to the capital

expenditures required to bring the Jay pipe into production; required operating and capital costs; labour and fuel costs; world and US economic conditions; future diamond

prices; and the level of worldwide diamond production. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on the information currently available to it,

they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information is subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially

from what the Company currently expects. These factors include, among other things, the uncertain nature of mining activities, including risks associated with underground

construction and mining operations, risks associated with joint venture operations, risks associated with the estimates related to the capital expenditures required to bring the

Jay pipe into production, risks associated with the remote location of and harsh climate at the Ekati Diamond Mine, variations in mineral reserve and mineral resource

estimates, grade estimates and expected recovery rates, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, risks resulting from the Eurozone financial crisis,

risks associated with regulatory requirements and any delays in receiving required regulatory approvals, the risk that diamond price assumptions may prove to be incorrect,

the risk of fluctuations in diamond prices and changes in US and world economic conditions, or the risk of fluctuations in the Canadian/US dollar exchange rate and cash flow

and liquidity risks. Please see the Company’s most recently filed Management’s Discussion and Analysis, as well as the Company’s current Annual Information Form, both

available at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties involved in the Company’s operations. Actual results

may vary from the forward-looking information.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue importance on forward-looking information, which speaks only as of the date of this presentation, and should not rely upon this

information as of any other date. Due to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the assumptions, risks and uncertainties identified above, actual events may differ

materially from current expectations. While the Company may elect to, it is under no obligation and does not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking information,

whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise at any particular time, except as required by law.

Technical InformationThe scientific and technical information relating to the Ekati Diamond Mine included herein has been prepared and verified by Dominion, operator of the Ekati Diamond Mine,

under the supervision of Peter Ravenscroft, FAusIMM, of Burgundy Mining Advisors Ltd., an independent mining consultant, and a Qualified Person within the meaning of

National Instrument 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators and is given as of January 31, 2015.

Page 3: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Agenda 3

• Health & Safety – Ekati’s Journey to Zero Harm

• Our Assets, Skilled Workforce and Overview of Operations

• Ekati Kimberlites - Geology

• Ekati Underground Operations

• Misery Main

• Pigeon

• Ekati Processing Plan & Plant Facilities

• Future Development – Lynx, Jay and Sable

• Next Steps

• Questions?

Page 4: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Health & Safety – Ekati’s journey to Zero Harm 4

• Our goal: To work with our people to

reduce and eliminate workplace injuries

• Our approach: To provide a safe and

injury free workplace through committed

leadership and teamwork

• To achieve this we are using the Zero

Incident Process (ZIP) Program which is

a behavior-based safety system that

focuses on the “people” component of a

safety culture model

• Our people are the most important

resource

• All of us have a role to play to make

Ekati a safe place to work

At Ekati, our message for health and

safety is and will always remain as the

“Courage to Care”

Page 5: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Our Assets 5

A Canadian diamond mining company

with ownership interests in two of the

world’s most valuable diamond mines

Both are located in the stable fiscal and

political environment of northern Canada

• Ekati Diamond Mine - 88.9%

ownership of the Core Zone, 65.3%

of the Buffer Zone

• Diavik Diamond Mine – 40%

ownership

Page 6: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Mine Facts 6

• Ekati started operations in 1998

• Mining methods are open pit and

underground

• To date, more than 465 million tonnes

of rock mined and more than 68 million

tonnes processed (100% basis)

• Over 60 million carats produced to date

(100% basis)

• Plant capacity of 4.35 million tonnes per

year or approximately 12,000 tonnes

per day

• 27 million tonnes of rock (kimberlite and

waste) expected to be mined in fiscal

year 2016

Page 7: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Skilled Workforce 7

Our Ekati Workforce

• 1413 employees as at January 31, 2015

• 57% (808) of our employees are

permanent (DDEC)

• 43% (605) of our employees are

contractors

• Northerners – presently at 64% versus

target of 62%

• Aboriginal – 42% versus target of 31%

Our Goals

• Attract skilled talent, ensuring focus on

commitments and business needs

• Actively engage and develop our people

• Implement improved mechanisms to

gauge employee satisfaction

• Roll out new Organizational Development

Performance management tools

Page 8: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Overview of Operations 8

Diavik

Ekati

Jay

Sable

Misery

Fox

Lynx

Beartooth

Koala North

Koala U/G

Panda

Pigeon

A-154NA-154S

A-418

A-21

Page 9: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Active Mining Operations 9

Pigeon (May 2015) Misery

Page 10: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Pipe Shapes 10

Grid: 100m x 100m

Page 11: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Underground Operations 11

Page 12: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Koala Cave Draw Strategy 12

• ‘Ring pull’ draw levels around the

circumference of the pipe at the 1970L,

1850L, and 1830L

• 1970L to draw phase 5 ore in earlier

and at a higher elevation

• 1810L to draw as standard SLC level

(from one side only)

• Individual draw points are mucked in a

specific sequence that allows for an

even drawdown of the broken ore

blanket

1970

185018301810

Page 13: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

13

Misery Main

• Probable reserve grade increased from 4.0

carats per tonne to 4.7 carats per tonne

• Approximate price per carat of US$861

• 3 million tonnes of probable reserves

Satellites – South and Southwest

Extension

• H1 FY16: 747,000 carats recovered; grade of

1.6 carats per tonne, average price of US$80

per carat

Capex

• Approximately US$78 million to be spent this

year. The first ore from Misery Main is

anticipated to be put through the processing

plant in early 2016

1 Based on the Company’s October 2014 prices.

Misery Main

Page 14: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Pigeon Pipe 14

• Located 5 kilometers northwest of

Koala with a surface area of 3.5

hectares

• Stripping of waste material is

underway

• Ore mining scheduled to commence

in calendar 2015 and finishing in

2019

• Probable reserves of 7.4 million

tonnes at a grade of 0.5 carats per

tonne

• Approximate price per carat of

US$1801

Pigeon pit development as of May 2015 with

superimposed kimberlite pipe (green)

1 Based on the Company’s October 2014 prices.

Page 15: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

15Ekati Plant Capacity of 4.35 million tonnes

Operating Case Mine Plan – Ore Mined and Mill Feed Mined Tonnage by financial year ending January 31st

Lynx and Jay are part of the Buffer Zone All other deposits are part of the Core Zone.

Misery South and Southwest are currently inferred resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Inferred mineral resources are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be

categorized as mineral reserves. There is no certainty that this assessment will be realized. Readers should reference the Company’s technical report in

respect of the Ekati Diamond Mine dated March 12, 2015 available through www.sedar.com or www.ddcorp.ca

FY2016 FY2017 FY2018 FY2019 FY2020 FY2021

Spare Capacity 1.35 1.54 1.28 0.08 1.15 0.01

Jay - - - - - 1.98

Misery SW 0.60 0.68 0.13 0.67 0.23 0.16

Misery South 0.50 0.28 0.01 - - -

Lynx - 0.02 0.76 0.30 - -

Fox Stockpile 0.10 - - - - -

Pigeon 0.70 0.23 0.38 1.89 2.30 1.80

Misery Main - 0.69 1.07 0.71 0.24 0.31

Koala 1.10 0.91 0.72 0.70 0.43 0.09

-

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

4.50

5.00

Dry

To

nn

es M

illio

n

Spare Capacity filled

with Coarse Ore

Rejects (“COR”)

Page 16: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Processing Plant 16

• Ore processed through

crushing, screening and

scrubbing circuits

• Heavy minerals including

diamonds separated from

light minerals by the Dense

Media Separation circuits

• Diamonds separated from

the dense mineral

concentrate using X-ray

luminescent sorting and

grease tables

• Fine processed kimberlite

deposited into the Long

Lake Storage Facility

(LLCF) and Beartooth pit

Page 17: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati – Plant Improvements

Plant improvements completed:

• Pre-feasibility study for fine diamond

recovery circuit

• Upgrading of plc system (programmable

logic controller)

• Six day annual maintenance shutdown

completed

Additional planned improvements:

• Back to basics and steady state approach

• Optimisation of diamond liberation from

host kimberlite by improving crusher

controls and loadings

• Optimisation and efficiency improvements

around dense media separation (DMS)

17

Page 18: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

18Diamond Recovery Optimization – July 2015

• New diamond liberation initiative commenced

in July 2015. Testing of the initiative is

continuing

• The initiative includes a reduction in the level

of throughput to the plant from 12,000 to

10,500 tonnes per day (or approximately 4.3

million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes per year)

• Initial test results show a significant increase in

grade recovered, primarily of diamonds of all

sizes up to 1.5 carats, and only marginal

decrease in dollar per carat

• Early indications show the financial impact

could be incrementally positive to annual

revenues even at a lower throughput

• An updated mine plan including the impact of

the changes on the production schedule,

diamond prices and operating costs, will be

published once the changes have been fully

tested and positive results confirmed

Page 19: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Project Update - Lynx 19

2015 Program

• All permits in place to initiate work

• Road construction, dewatering lines, fish

out and de-watering this summer

• Pre-stripping scheduled for late 2015

Mine Plan

• Less than one year pre-strip

• Ore production expected in fall 2016

• Probable reserve of 1.1 million tonnes at

a grade of 0.9 carats per tonne

• Approximate price per carat of US$2411

• Over 12 million tonnes of granite to be

mined and used for Jay road and dike

construction projects

Proposed Lynx pit development showing lake to be de-watered

(blue) and superimposed kimberlite pipe (green)

1 Based on the Company’s October 2014 prices.

Page 20: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Project Update - Jay 20

2015 Drilling Program – current

status

• Winter drilling program completed along

planned dike alignments

• Winter geotechnical and hydro-geology

drilling program complete

• Currently incorporating results into feasibility-

level design of dike, pit, and associated

infrastructure

• Winter Reverse Circulation drilling program

at Jay to better understand the diamond

value complete (1,250 tonne sample

collected)

• Jay sample currently being processed

through Ekati sample plant

Page 21: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Project Update - Jay 21

Jay Permitting – Current status

• Developer’s Assessment Report submitted

November 6, 2014

• 501 information requests received,

responses submitted April 7

• Technical sessions held April 20-24

• Responses to second round of information

requests submitted July 3

• Public Hearings scheduled for September

14-21 in Yellowknife, Behchokǫ̀, Łutsel K'e,

and Kugluktuk

• Decision on Environmental Assessment

expected January 2016

• Land Use Permit and Water License

expected by end of 2016

Page 22: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Sable Project

Summary Facts and Status

• 15.4 million tonnes of indicated resource at 0.9

carats per tonne

• Located 17 kilometers N/NE of Ekati

• Permitted with Pigeon/Beartooth

Activities in FY16

• Winter bulk sample RC drilling (1500 tonnes)

• Diamond valuation (>2000 carats total)

• Pre-feasibility Study in progress

22

Page 23: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Project Update - Sable 23

2015 Program - Update

• Bulk sampling program recovered

approximately 1,500 tonnes from

eight large diameter holes

• All eight reverse circulation drill holes

have been processed at the Ekati

Sample Plant and diamond picking

has been completed. Parcel

valuation in progress.

• Pre-feasibility study in progress

Page 24: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Ekati - Next Steps

In the current Mine Plan

• Misery Main pushback on plan

• Koala underground operation

• Pigeon on plan

• Lynx permitted and on schedule

• Jay open pit – Feasibility Study in progress

24

Not In the current Mine Plan

• Sable – Open Pit

• Permitted for mining; haulage road is

permitted but design requires approval

• Economic evaluation in progress

• Pre-feasibility study in progress

• Koala Underground – Potentially additional

material below 1810 level

• Process plant Liberation Optimization

Longer-term exploration potential

• Fox underground

• Jay underground

• Exploration potential on existing trend lines

Page 25: Ekati Diamond Mine Site Tour

Questions? 25