Canadian Diamonds: An Update/EXPLORATION AND MINING COMPANIES PRESENT THEIR VIEWS ON A NATIONAL DIAMOND STRATEGY

摘要

Fifteen years ago, the words "Canada" and "diamonds" were rarely found in the same sentence. However, developments following the discovery of diamonds in Canada's Northwest Territories in 1991 not only eventually changed the makeup of that country's mining industry, but also expanded the boundaries of the world diamond trade beyond its traditional locales, with a steadily increasing number of mines, advanced development projects and exploration programs under way throughout many Canadian provinces. Canada now ranks among the world's top diamond producers, supplying about 15 percent of rough diamonds (by value) to the trade, according to Canadian industry estimates. Canadian diamond production in 2002 was almost 5 million carats and in 2003 was 11.2 million carats. The industry has become a 1.7 billion dollars -per-year revenue generator with strong potential for future growth. It is estimated that 40-50 percent of diamond exploration funding worldwide is now directed towards Canadian properties. A quick rundown of recent developments illustrates the widening scope of the industry.