KIMBERLITE CARBON CAPTURE: WORKING TOWARDS A CARBON NEGATIVE
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- The most common mineral in kimberlite is Olivine, and its
Serpentine Group weathering products, which, when exposed to the atmosphere at the Earth's surface, react with carbon dioxide ("CO2") to form solid mineral carbonates and remove carbon from the atmosphere. - During our recent joint venture with Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. ("RTEC"), RTEC as Project Manager, contracted academics at the
University of Alberta (ProfessorSasha Wilson ) andTrent University (Dr. Ian Power ) to analyse kimberlite samples from both the Star and Orion South Kimberlites to determine the modal proportions of Olivine minerals in each sample and the ability of these Olivine minerals to react with CO2 to form solid, stable carbonate products. - The initial studies at the two universities have shown that the Star and Orion South samples contain significant proportions (62.5 – 83.5%) of Lizardite, a
Serpentine Group weathering product of Olivine that reacts with CO2. - When exposed to the atmosphere at the Earth's surface, Lizardite reacts with CO2 to form stable carbonates. Laboratory studies conducted at the universities show that, under specific conditions, these Lizardite containing kimberlite samples can react with significant quantities of CO2 and remove it from the atmosphere: as much as 398 kg CO2 per tonne of processed kimberlite when fully reacted.
- The 2018 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") estimates that for a future mine on the Star and Orion South Kimberlites, some 470 million tonnes of kimberlite will be processed at a rate of 45,000 tonnes per day, over 34 years, to recover about 66 million carats of diamonds.
Star Diamond is working with the academic institutions to develop a scope of work to investigate Carbon mineralization opportunities for this enormous volume of processed kimberlite. - A future mine to recover diamonds from the Star and Orion South Kimberlites has the advantage of being supplied with electricity from the SaskPower grid. Consequently, all waste stripping, ore mining and delivery to the processing plant and processing equipment can operate on grid power, resulting in an unusually low carbon footprint for the mine.
The university laboratories were provided with fifteen samples, which include six core samples of Early
Table 1. Samples details and results.
Sample # | Source1 | Type2 | Lizardite % | Lizardite CO2 Mineralization Potential (kg CO2/tonne) |
1 | FMA | PK | 77.7 | 370 |
2 | FMA | PK | 65.8 | 314 |
3 | FMA | PK | 63.6 | 303 |
4 | FMA | PK | 62.5 | 298 |
5 | FMA | PK | 74.8 | 356 |
6 | DMS Floats | PK | 70.3 | 335 |
7 | DMS Floats | PK | 76.8 | 366 |
8 | DMS Floats | PK | 75.3 | 359 |
9 | DMS Floats | PK | 57.5 | 274 |
10 | SPF-024 | Shale | - | 0 |
11 | SPF-024 | Shale | - | 0 |
12 | SPF-033 | EJF-KB | 83.5 | 398 |
13 | SPF-033 | EJF-KB | 78.9 | 376 |
14 | SPF-033 | EJF-PK | 73.1 | 348 |
15 | SPF-034 | EJF-PK | 76.4 | 364 |
1. FMA – Fines Management Area, DMS Floats – Dense media separator light fraction, SPF – Drill Core |
2. PK – Processed kimberlite fines, Shale – country rock, EJF-KB – Early |
These initial results illustrate that there is potential for the Lizardite in the processed kimberlite, from the Star and Orion South Kimberlites, to capture significant quantities of atmospheric CO2, which can have a positive effect on the lowering of the carbon footprint of a future mine. Additional analyses need to be conducted on larger samples with the aim of developing carbon capture methods that can be incorporated in a future diamond mine.
Senior VP Corporate Development Star Diamond,
Interim President and CEO,
All technical information in this press release has been prepared under the supervision of George Read, Senior Vice President Corporate Development, a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and British Columbia and Mark Shimell, Vice President Exploration, a registered Professional Geoscientist in the Province of
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