Diavik Begins Airlift Program

The Diavik Diamond Mine is located 300 km. northeast of Yellowknife, in Canada's Northwest Territories. During the cold winter months, the mine is accessible via an ice road along which fuel, construction materials and equipment is shipped in. This year, because of unseasonably warm weather, the ice road was closed prematurely, resulting in a supply shortfall. Despite this shortfall, Diavik intends to maintain mine production and capital construction as planned for 2006.

The mine's remoteness means that the only option available to fly the materials to the mine site, but because there is no commercial air transport that can fly the large, heavy shovel pieces to Diavik “as is”, they will have to be cut into smaller pieces. To minimize cutting, the largest commercial aircraft option was selected – the Russian Mi26 helicopter. Once the airlift is completed, the shovel pieces will be precisely welded together on site, assembled and the shovel put into production.

Diavik’s medium term challenge – over the next two months – will be to fly in the materials needed to allow construction of its second dike to be completed this year. Canada’s ability to move such large quantities of freight in the short time period required are currently limited. Until that capacity is in place, Diavik has sought permission from the Canadian government to bring in a Russian Antonov AN12 aircraft, similar to a Hercules transport, to fly cement, bentonite, and other construction materials required over the next two months. The AN12 is expected to arrive in early May.

Diavik is committed to using Canadian carriers where possible, and the longer term challenge is to expand local aircraft capacity to fly materials during the rest of the year, not only for Diavik, but for other winter road users with stranded freight. Diavik is supporting a local carrier’s application for additional Hercules aircraft for this purpose.