The Snap Lake Mine is De Beers’ first mine outside of Africa, and is unique in Canada.
Built on the shores of Snap Lake, 220 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the Snap Lake mine is Canada’s first completely underground diamond mine.
The mine was officially opened, together with Victor Mine in Ontario, in July 2008.
Background
Exploration began in 1995 and the kimberlite was discovered in 1997 by Winspear Resources. De Beers Canada bought the project in 2000 and in May 2004 received the permits required to proceed with construction and operation.
Because of Snap Lake’s remote location, building and operating the mine requires careful planning. Travel to the site is only possible by aircraft for all but six to eight weeks of the year.
During February and March – fuel and other supplies are hauled to site via a winter road from Yellowknife. Resupply is coordinated by a team of logistics and materials management specialists in Yellowknife and at Snap Lake.
On site an automated process plant capable of handling 3 150 tons of ore a day, water and sewer treatment plants, a utilities building to provide power, and an airstrip – capable of landing 737 jets and Hercules C-130 transport planes – have been built. Construction of the underground crushing and conveyor system was completed in early 2008.
By mid 2008, C$1.1 billion had been spent on construction and operation of the mine. Of this, C$775.8 million has been spent with Northwest Territories-based contractors and suppliers, including C$520.8 million with Aboriginal businesses or joint ventures.
Carats per year
The annual production rate is expected to be up to 1.4 million carats.
Mine type - geology and process
Canada’s first underground diamond mine, the Snap Lake ore body is a 2.5 metre thick dyke that dips an average of 12-15° from the northwest shore down under the lake.
It is unlike most diamond-bearing kimberlite deposits, which are shaped like pipes or carrots.
Health and Safety
Snap Lake is the only diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories that has certified its environmental management systems to ISO 14001 standards before operations had started. The LTIFR for De Beers Canada was 0.30 at end October 2008.
Underground drilling at Snap Lake
Communities and Environment
Snap Lake was built and is being operated with a commitment to the highest environmental standards. It is the only mine in the Northwest Territories that has certified its environmental management systems to the high international standard, ISO 14001, through advanced exploration, construction and before operations.
An Environmental Agreement with the territorial and federal governments and Aboriginal communities near the mine provides for ongoing monitoring of the environmental stewardship of the company.
The company has also signed four impact benefit agreements (IBAs) for the Snap Lake mine, including with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, the Tlicho Government, the North Slave Metis Alliance and Lutsel K'e and Kache Dene First Nation.
Once in full operation, Snap Lake will employ about 560 workers. This includes about 415 De Beers Canada employees at the mine and in the Yellowknife office, as well as others who work for contractors on site.
Most mine production staff work two-week rotations on site. Once construction is complete, about 260 people will work on site at a time.
De Beers has established 40 training positions for the Snap Lake mine and aims to fill all 40 by the third year of operation.
At the end of 2007, nine apprentices had been hired and seven students from the Aurora College mineral process plant operator training program were placed in the main treatment plant as trainees. A number of underground mining trainees have been hired.
This commitment to building an Northwest Territories-based workforce includes investment in education and training initiatives like the Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre, Women in Mining, Oil and Gas program, and De Beers Books in Homes program, which has distributed 17 000 books to Aboriginal children in communities near the mine since 2003.
Find out about Victor Mine >
Read the press release >
More about De Beers Canada >
See De Beers Interim Results 2008 >
Visit De Beers Canada for more detail on Snap Lake >