Value of NWT & Nunavut Mine Production in 2009

June 16, 2010

The value of mineral production in the NWT & Nunavut totaled $1,509,600,000 during the calendar year 2009 according to recently obtained statistics from corporate and government sources. The Northwest Territories produced diamonds and tungsten concentrates during calendar year 2009 at a value of $1,447,940,000 and $50,100,000 respectively. Nunavut Territory did not produce any minerals during the year. Quarry production for the NWT was valued at $1.8 million for sand and gravel production of 268,000 tonnes and $9.8 million for stone production of 649,000 tonnes.A total of three diamond mines and one tungsten mine were in production in the Northwest Territories during 2009:

Ekati Diamond Mine (BHP Billiton Plc.)
Ore Processed: 5,099,000 metric tonnes
Diamonds Recovered: 4,242,500 carats

Diavik Diamond Mine (Rio Tinto Plc. / Harry Winston Diamond Corp.)
Ore Processed: 2,680,000 metric tonnes
Diamonds Recovered: 5,500,000 carats

Snap Lake Diamond Mine (De Beers Canada Inc.)
Ore Processed: 354,500 metric tonnes
Diamonds Recovered: 443,500 carats

Cantung Mine (North American Tungsten Corporation Ltd.)
Ore Processed: 320,940 short tons
Grade: 1.07% tungsten oxides
Tungsten Concentrates: 247,657 metric tonne units
Recovery: 75.33%
* Cantung ceased production October 15, 2009

Four proposed mines are at various stages within the NWT permitting process. These include: Gacho’Kue (De Beers Canada Inc.), diamonds; NICO (Fortune Minerals Ltd.), gold/copper/cobalt/bismuth; Ormsby (Tyhee Development Corporation), gold; and Prairie Creek (Canadian Zinc Corporation), lead/zinc/silver.

There were no producing mines in Nunavut Territory during 2009. One gold mine, Agnico‐Eagle’s Meadowbank mine, was commissioned during February and March 2010.

Three proposed mines are at various stages within the Nunavut permitting process. These include: Hope Bay (Newmont Mining Corporation), gold; Kiggavik (Areva Canada Inc.), uranium; and Mary River (Baffinland Iron Mines Ltd.), iron ore.

Box 2818, Yellowknife, NT Canada X1A 2R1 Phone: (867) 873-5281 Fax: (867) 920-2145
Email: nwtmines@ssimicro.com Website: miningnorth.com