Karelian carries out detailed sampling in Northern Ireland

Karelian Diamond Resources has carried out a detailed heavy mineral stream sediment sampling programme focused on the Colebrooke river in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, it announced on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said the Colebrooke River was the reported location of the discovery of the Brookeborough diamond in 1816.

No serious exploration for the source of the Brookeborough diamond was conducted until 1996, when a regional heavy mineral stream sediment sampling survey was carried out in Counties Fermanagh and Tyrone.

The recovery of some chromites was reported, and those could possibly indicate the presence of kimberlitic source rocks in the vicinity of where the Brookeborough diamond was discovered.

No follow up work was ever conducted, however.

Karelian said that, following a review of the regional sampling survey results, along with analysis of airborne geophysical data from the TELLUS survey in Northern Ireland and an overall geological assessment, it decided to carry out a detailed heavy mineral stream sediment survey at sample sites on the Colebrooke River around the reported discovery location of the diamond.

A total of 10 samples were taken using hand shovels and sieved on site down to a two millimetre size fraction to get around 20 kilograms of sample material at each site.

The combined total weight for the 10 samples was just over 200 kilograms.

Karelian said the samples were dispatched to Canada for mineral concentrating, picking and analysis for kimberlite indicator minerals (KIMs).

“The discovery of a diamond in Northern Ireland is intriguing and combined with the 1996 results showing the discovery of potential KIMs and the advances in the understanding of diamond host rocks, Karelian felt it warranted further investigation, particularly in conjunction with the TELLUS airborne geophysical data,” said chairman Richard Conroy.

“Hopefully, the sample results will be positive.

“However, the main focus for the immediate future will remain the development of the mine in Lahtojki, and exploration in Finland where work has continued despite the Covid-related restrictions.”

At 1417 BST, shares in Karelian Diamond Resources were down 10.32% at 2.83p.