Keynote Presentation
Over the last 30 years, our understanding of the geology of kimberlites has evolved significantly following the discovery, evaluation, and mining of pipes across Canada. Previously, our knowledge of the geology of kimberlite pipes was primarily based on occurrences in southern Africa. Several hundred pipes have been discovered across diverse geological settings in Canada, and seven diamond mines have been developed. These mines include Ekati, Diavik, Jericho, Snap Lake, Victor, Gahcho Kué, and Renard. Of the seven mines developed, three were closed prematurely. In this contribution, I will present the three significant developments in kimberlite geology within Canada over the last 30 years, which have helped geologists better understand the wide spectrum of pipe shapes, pipe sizes, variable internal architectures and diamond distributions. These developments include: 1) Appreciating that the country rock environment has a direct impact on external pipe shape, size, infill, and internal geology; 2) the volcanic history and maturity displayed within a cluster or province is often complex and can be highly variable between individual pipes, and 3) through various eruption and depositional processes, the kimberlite becomes texturally modified having a significant impact on the microdiamond and macrodiamond populations within a particular kimberlite. These developments have allowed those involved in kimberlite exploration and evaluation to generate better predictive models, focusing resources on pipes with greater economic potential. However, it is not enough to have a good understanding of kimberlite geology; representative drilling and sampling must be undertaken before a realistic economic assessment may be completed for a particular kimberlite. Globally, there are thousands of kimberlites, and many have undergone very limited drilling and sampling for diamonds. Rather than focusing on discovering new kimberlites, is it time to revisit previous discoveries within Canada and worldwide to reassess their potential?
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