GAC026SC Kimberlites and Related Rocks in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basins
From the late 1980s to the present, over 120 occurrences of Late Cretaceous to Paleocene kimberlite and related rocks have been discovered in the central Saskatchewan and northern Alberta portions of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). Situated at or near the western margin of Laurentia, these bodies represent some of the largest and best-preserved kimberlite edifices in the world. Approximately 70% of the kimberlites contain diamond. Exploration varies from grassroots to advanced prefeasibility evaluation such that WCSB kimberlite might soon contribute to Canada’s continuing emergence as a diamond-producing nation.
This one-day workshop features a knowledgeable, distinguished group of presenters from industry, academia and government that will describe the uniqueness of these volcanic provinces/fields by thematically addressing:
- Geological Framework
- Evolution of western Laurentia (David Eaton - University of Calgary)
- Framework of the WCSB (John-Paul Zonneveld - University of Alberta)
- Central Saskatchewan Kimberlite Discoveries and Overview
- Central Saskatchewan, part I (Bruce Kjarsgaard – Geological Survey of Canada)
- Central Saskatchewan, part II (Shawn Harvey – Shore Gold Inc.)
- Northern Alberta Kimberlite Discoveries and Overview
- Northern Alberta, part I – (Roy Eccles – Alberta Geological Survey)
- Northern Alberta, part II (Tony French – Shore Gold Inc.)
- Considerations for Lithospheric Mantle
- Multidisciplinary deep probing (David Snyder – Geological Survey of Canada)
- Mantle mineralogy (Tom Nowicki – Mineral Services)
- Diamonds
- Comparative diamond-inclusion trends (Thomas Stachel – University of Alberta)
- Estimated diamond content and economics (George Read – Shore Gold Inc.)
- Exploration Strategies in the WCSB
- Drift prospecting (Roger Paulen – Geological Survey of Canada)
- The WCSB exploration experience (Michael Dufresne – APEX Geoscience Ltd.)
- Geophysical techniques (Christopher Campbell - GeoIntrepid & Intrepid Geophysics)
- Workshop Summary and Future Thoughts (Randy Turner - Diamondex Resources Ltd.)
Note: (speakers in brackets are tentatively confirmed)
