Banas, A., Eccles, D.R. and Dufresne, M.B. (2016): Diamond potential in Alberta: distribution of kimberlite and kimberlite indicator mineral clusters; Alberta Energy Regulator, AER/AGS Special Report 103, 50 p.
This report provides a description and an assessment of the distribution of kimberlite and kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) clusters in Alberta. It is a combined release of four internal reports produced by Apex Geoscience Ltd. at the request of the Alberta Geological Survey as part of a project funded by Alberta Energy to enhance Alberta's mineral geoscience knowledge and to disseminate existing geological information. The specific purpose of this report was to provide geoscience information on Alberta's diamond potential to help guide land-use planning.
This report includes background information about kimberlites and KIMs, maps showing the distribution of kimberlites and KIMs, and assessments of diamond potential for the Lower Peace (LPRP), Upper Peace (UPRP), Upper Athabasca (UARP), and North Saskatchewan (NSRP) regional planning areas based on the presence of moderate to high counts of KIMs with favourable mineral chemistry, the presence of kimberlites, the presence of diamonds in surface samples, and the location relative to known kimberlites.
Two known kimberlite fields exist within the LPRP area (Buffalo Head Hills and Birch Mountains) and one kimberlite field has been discovered within the UPRP area (Mountain Lake). No kimberlites have been discovered within the UARP and NSRP areas to date. The assessments of the four regional planning areas resulted in the identification of a total of seven areas with high diamond potential (Central Buffalo Head Hills, Birch Mountains, North Buffalo Head Hills, West Buffalo Head Hills, Utikuma Lake, Calling Lake, and Swan Hills) and ten areas with moderate diamond potential (Hay-Zama Lakes, Chinchaga, Caribou Mountains, Mountain Lake, Clear Hills, Kakwa River, Hinton, Ram River, St. Paul, and West Edmonton).