Post by Franko10 ™ on Sept 20, 2004 11:31:55 GMT -5
February 25, 2004
STAR DIAMOND PROJECT
PROCESS PLANT FULLY COMMISSIONED - SHAFT SINKING CONTINUES
KGeorge H. Read, Senior Vice President, Exploration, is pleased to report that the processing plant at the Star Diamond Project is fully commissioned and actively processing kimberlite. The shaft into the Star Kimberlite has been sunk to 200 metres below surface. Drilling is underway ahead of drifting on the 175-metre level.
The on-site processing plant (30 tph front-end and 10 tph DMS) has been fully commissioned by engineers from Bateman Engineering, the plant manufacturers. The plant handover from the Bateman process engineer to the local team of Bateman trained plant/machine operators, millwrights and electricians has taken place. The plant is active 24 hours per day and is staffed by two 12-hour shifts. The winterisation of the plant inside a heated Cover All has been most successful with a +10ºC ambient inside temperature. As a result plant water is available without any heating requirements.
Kimberlite is batch fed to the plant according to geological units. Most samples will be composed of ten metres of kimberlite (350 tonnes) from the shaft or drifts. However, some smaller samples may be required for specific geological units. To date, some 1000 tonnes of kimberlite have been processed through the plant. The final plant products are X-ray Flowsort and grease table concentrates, which are collected in sealed containers and transferred to an independent sorting laboratory for diamond recovery. The independent laboratory will report the individual diamonds by weight and screen size. It is anticipated that several weeks will elapse between kimberlite batch feed to the plant and the reporting of diamond recoveries. The laboratory will retain all results until such time as the entire geological unit has been processed and the concentrate sorted. The laboratory will then release the information to Shore at which time the results will be disclosed. The recovery plant tailings (concentrate waste from Flowsort and grease table) from batch processing will be audited for free and locked diamonds using a combination of magnetic separation, hand sorting and caustic fusion.
Subsequent to the establishment of an electrical substation on the 175-metre level, drilling is proceeding ahead of the drift on this level. A vertical hole will also be drilled from this level to at least 250 metres below surface. The core from this hole will provide Shore geologists with essential information for the planning of the next lateral drift level. While this drilling is underway shaft sinking has continued and the concrete lined shaft has been completed to 200 metres below surface. The next lateral drift will be established below the 215 metre level.
The Star Diamond Project is designed to recover a parcel of at least 3000 carats of diamonds to enable an accurate valuation of the stones. Up to 25,000 tonnes of kimberlite will be recovered from the shaft and drifts and processed on-site to produce this diamond parcel.
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Shore is a Canadian-based corporation engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares of Shore trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SGF”.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. The shares and warrants have not been nor will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, and they may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration.
For further information please contact:
Kenneth E. MacNeill, President & C.E.O.; George Sanders, Vice President Corporate Development; or George H. Read, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration at (306) 664-2202.
STAR DIAMOND PROJECT
PROCESS PLANT FULLY COMMISSIONED - SHAFT SINKING CONTINUES
KGeorge H. Read, Senior Vice President, Exploration, is pleased to report that the processing plant at the Star Diamond Project is fully commissioned and actively processing kimberlite. The shaft into the Star Kimberlite has been sunk to 200 metres below surface. Drilling is underway ahead of drifting on the 175-metre level.
The on-site processing plant (30 tph front-end and 10 tph DMS) has been fully commissioned by engineers from Bateman Engineering, the plant manufacturers. The plant handover from the Bateman process engineer to the local team of Bateman trained plant/machine operators, millwrights and electricians has taken place. The plant is active 24 hours per day and is staffed by two 12-hour shifts. The winterisation of the plant inside a heated Cover All has been most successful with a +10ºC ambient inside temperature. As a result plant water is available without any heating requirements.
Kimberlite is batch fed to the plant according to geological units. Most samples will be composed of ten metres of kimberlite (350 tonnes) from the shaft or drifts. However, some smaller samples may be required for specific geological units. To date, some 1000 tonnes of kimberlite have been processed through the plant. The final plant products are X-ray Flowsort and grease table concentrates, which are collected in sealed containers and transferred to an independent sorting laboratory for diamond recovery. The independent laboratory will report the individual diamonds by weight and screen size. It is anticipated that several weeks will elapse between kimberlite batch feed to the plant and the reporting of diamond recoveries. The laboratory will retain all results until such time as the entire geological unit has been processed and the concentrate sorted. The laboratory will then release the information to Shore at which time the results will be disclosed. The recovery plant tailings (concentrate waste from Flowsort and grease table) from batch processing will be audited for free and locked diamonds using a combination of magnetic separation, hand sorting and caustic fusion.
Subsequent to the establishment of an electrical substation on the 175-metre level, drilling is proceeding ahead of the drift on this level. A vertical hole will also be drilled from this level to at least 250 metres below surface. The core from this hole will provide Shore geologists with essential information for the planning of the next lateral drift level. While this drilling is underway shaft sinking has continued and the concrete lined shaft has been completed to 200 metres below surface. The next lateral drift will be established below the 215 metre level.
The Star Diamond Project is designed to recover a parcel of at least 3000 carats of diamonds to enable an accurate valuation of the stones. Up to 25,000 tonnes of kimberlite will be recovered from the shaft and drifts and processed on-site to produce this diamond parcel.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shore is a Canadian-based corporation engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties. Shares of Shore trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “SGF”.
This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction. The shares and warrants have not been nor will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, and they may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration.
For further information please contact:
Kenneth E. MacNeill, President & C.E.O.; George Sanders, Vice President Corporate Development; or George H. Read, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration at (306) 664-2202.