Ashton partners to build plant

Press, 21 February 1980, Page 18

Ashton partners to build plant

NZPA Perth A pilot processing plant will be built before the end of this year at the rich new Lake Argyle diamond discovery in Western Australia by the Ashton joint-venture partners (C.R.A., Ashton Mining, and Northern Mining). The development programme, involving a sharp expansion in the joint-ven-ture’s expenditure to about sAustlsM from SB.SM last year, was announced in Derby by the Premier of Western Australia (Sir Charles Court) ahead of next Saturday’s state election. He said that the pilot plant, similiar to that operating at the Ashton jointventure’s earlier diamond discoveries at Ellendale in the south-west Kimberley, could provide the basis for commercial development of the Argyle deposits. The Argyle diamond discovery 7, first announced in

October, has given indications of being one of the highest yielding in the world, but the all-important ratio of gemstones to industrial diamonds has not yet been disclosed. In 10 weeks’ testing to the end of December, it yielded more than 5000 carats, Or more than the yield in 15 months from either of the two main pipes at the Ellendale prospect, 420 km to the south-west. The Argyle deposit is divided into three categories — a 45 hectare pipe in a vallev drained by Smoke Creek, rich alluvial terraces near the head of the creek, and alluvial deposits in the stream bed ranging up to 32km from the pipe. Ashton’s December quarter report indicated yields to every 100 tonnes of gravel of 151 carats for the pipe, 1112 carats for the alluvial terraces, and 93 carats for the downstream alluvials.