Churchill Craton - Economic Geology

Economic Geology

There is aggressive diamond exploration drilling in the south Slave Province, NWT, Churchill craton (at the northwest corner of the Hudson Bay) and in Ontario. The Northwest Territories (NWT), North Slave craton and Keewatin regions of Nunavut and the north-central region of Alberta are regions that are all underlain by diamond-friendly cratonic rocks of the Slave craton, Churchill craton and the Buffalo Head craton. The diamonds being found in the NWT were created 50 to 600 mya during catacylismic explosions of kimberlite, a molten magma originating up to 400 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface.

Unlike the Slave craton, which is covered with shallow lakes and swamp, the eastern part of the Churchill craton is drier. Kimberlites may be obscured by foliage rather than water, therefore many targets may be drillable during the summer, not just during the short winter window when lakes are frozen and daylight is available. In comparison drilling in the Eastern Arctic is too remote compared to the Slave craton, which is serviced by the fully developed infrastructure of Yellowknife. The Eastern Arctic is serviced by the smaller town of Rankin Inlet, which in turn is serviced by barge during summer.