Kimberlite composition as a guide to diamond potential

加拿大研究和开发基金被要求对魁北克奥蒂斯山脉Ashton Mining Canada/SOQUEM合资企业Foxtrot地产的浅海相金伯利岩脉的散体化学和矿物成分进行研究。该项目的目标是开发一种新的金伯利岩化学分类作为勘探工具，并寻找散体化学成分、氧化态和钻石品位之间的可能相关性。在唐·弗朗西斯的监督下，麦吉尔大学的迈克尔·帕特森项目。该项目将涉及对~80个样品的化学分析，其中大部分将是浅成岩相的岩心或露头样品，但也将包括从相同岩体中获得的致密介质分离物。阿什顿矿业加拿大/SOQUEM合资企业将提供哪些钻石等级的钻石。这些金伯利岩样品中的一部分将被选择用于电子显微探针测定共存的橄榄石和尖晶石的成分，以限制金伯利岩岩浆的氧化状态。该项目的目标是评估整体化学成分是否可以作为评估金伯利岩钻石潜力的指南，并确定金伯利岩的氧化状态与其钻石等级之间是否存在关联。此外，还将有助于更深入地了解地球上地幔中这些奇异岩石的来源。

A Canada Research and Development Grant is requested for a study of the bulk chemical and mineralogical compositions of hypabyssal-facies kimberlite dykes of the Foxtrot Property of the Ashton Mining Canada / SOQUEM Joint Venture, in the Otish Mountains of Québec.   The goal of the project is to develop a new chemical classification for kimberlitic rocks as an exploration tool and to look for possible correlations between bulk chemical composition, oxidation state, and diamond grade.   The proposed 2 year study will constitute the M.Sc. project of Michael Patterson at McGill University, under the supervision of Don Francis.  The project will involve the chemical analysis of ~ 80 samples, most of which will be core or outcrop samples of hypabyssal-facies "kimberlite", but will also include dense media separates obtained from the same bodies, for which diamond grades will be made available by the Ashton Mining Canada / SOQUEM Joint Venture.  A subset of these kimberlite samples will be selected for electron microprobe determination of the compositions of coexisting olivine and spinel in order to constrain the oxidation state of the kimberlite magma.  The goal of the project is to assess whether bulk chemical composition can be used as a guide to the evaluation of the diamond potential of kimberlites, and to determine whether there is a correlation between the oxidation state of kimberlites and their diamond grade.  An additional benefit will be a deeper understanding of the origin of these exotic rocks in the Earth's upper mantle.