Canada’s first diamond mine, Ekati, reaches historic 100-million carats

Canada’s first diamond mine – Ekati near Lac des Gras, NWT – has reached a historic milestone of producing 100 million carats since production began in 1998. The mine is 100%-owned and operated by Burgundy Diamond Mines (ASX: BDM) of Australia.

”As Ekati currently celebrates 26 years of production, this impressive achievement is a reminder of the quality of this long-life asset and everyone’s efforts, hard work, and dedication over the past two and a half decades,” said the company in a release.

Ekati ranks in the top 10 producers worldwide producing high-quality, ethically sourced diamonds. It also offers job creation, resource generation, and community investment.

Burgundy purchased Ekati mine in July 2023 and remains committed to continuing this legacy by working collaboratively with northern communities, government, and impact benefit agreement partners, and working to expand mine life potential opportunities identified for future growth. The future is looking bright with opportunities at Ekati, namely the Misery underground extension, Sable underground, Point Lake open pit, Fox high-value stockpiles, Fox underground, and other undeveloped resources on the property. 

“We are proud of the team we have in place and of everything we have achieved so far. Ekati still has 140 million carats remaining in indicated mineral resources, one of the largest unmined diamond endowments in the world, which provides Burgundy shareholders with an indication of Ekati’s remaining mine life potential,” said Burgundy CEO Kim Truter. “We are looking forward to reaching future major milestones under Burgundy’s leadership, and continuing to make strides in operational performance, cost reduction strategies, mine life extension work, and innovative sales and marketing strategies.”

Additional information about the Ekati mine is available on www.BurgundyDiamonds.com.