The Ekati Diamond Mine is Canada's first operational diamond mining operation. It is located on Lac de Gras at 64°41′56″N, 110°36′53″W, 300 km north-east of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and about 200km south of the Arctic circle. Ekati is a joint venture between BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc. (80%), and the two geologists who discovered kimberlite pipes north of Lac de Gras, Chuck Fipke (10%) and Stewart Blusson (10%).

In 1991, the first kimberlite pipe in Canada was discovered at Pointe Lake. This was followed by the largest staking rush in Canadian history. Ekati officially opened on October 14, 1998, and is operated by BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc., a part of the BHP Billiton Group, the world's largest diversified resources company.

Diamonds at the Ekati site are found in 45 to 62 million year old kimberlite pipes (Creaser et al, 2004), most of which lie underneath shallow lakes. Diamonds from the Ekati Mine are sold under the trade name Aurias. Authenticity is verified through the CanadaMark service, also operated by BHP Billiton Diamonds Inc.

Between 1998 and 2004, the mine has produced 26,033,000 carats (5,207 kg) of diamonds. It is expected to yield revenues of about C$500 million a year for at least 25 years.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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