Dominion Diamond Mines is pushing to expand exploration east of Ekati Diamond Mine, according to its Dec. 24 application to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. 

If successful,the application would amend DominionSA国际影视传媒檚 permissions, allowing it to step up exploration of its claims around Glowworm Lake, east of Ekati, which lies about 310 km northeast of Yellowknife.

Among those requests is allowing large diameter drilling and/or trenching around the claim to achieve up to SA国际影视传媒�1,200 tonnes annually of bulk sample material,SA国际影视传媒� the submission states. Dominion also wants permission to use and store explosives under 500 kg for trenching purposes, which entail blasting into rock to reveal minerals.  

The submission also includes the possibility for winter road construction, which SA国际影视传媒渨ould spur off the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road onto the relevant location(s) on the Project property,SA国际影视传媒� according to the submission to the Board. 

SA国际影视传媒淎ny winter roads constructed would be primarily for logistical support of the operation. Until further exploration work is done on the Project it is not known at the time of this application where such access routes would need to go,SA国际影视传媒� the submission added.

In addition to roads and equipment, the request includes provisions for a base camp and additional exploration camps and adds four claims to the area. The submission to the board would cover five years, and could be extended to another two on top of that. 

De Beers, owner of Gahcho Kue Mine, one of three diamonds in the territory, also notified the land and water board Dec. 31 that it is entering an exploration phase with hopes of extending the mine's life.

Dominion Diamonds did not respond to a request for comment by press time. 

As the firm's NWT mines face an uncertain, credit agency MoodySA国际影视传媒檚 in October downgraded a $550-million bond issued by the minerSA国际影视传媒檚 parent company SA国际影视传媒�  Northwest Acquisitions ULC, controlled by the Washington Group, which bought and made Dominion Diamond Corporation private in 2017.

Moody's described the bond as SA国际影视传媒渙f poor standingSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渟ubject to very high credit risk.SA国际影视传媒�

If Dominion carries out an expansion at Ekati, the mine is slated to be in production into the 2030s. In 2018, however, Dominion Mines delayed the Jay Pipe expansion that would potentially expand mine life.

In October, a Dominion Diamond Mines spokesperson told SA国际影视传媒 that the project SA国际影视传媒渋s still under review at this time.SA国际影视传媒� Meanwhile, the Fox Deep project, which was still under consideration as of this summer, could expand mining operations at the site until 2042, according to a 2017 Dominion assessment.

Ekati employs close to 1,600 people, including contractors.