Media reports  suggest that De Beers is  taking steps to  finally close its Snap Lake diamond mine in Canada.

Reports say that De Beers “notified” the  Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board  about its plans “to file a final closure and reclamation plan for its defunct Snap Lake diamond mine”. The Company put in a formal request earlier this month to be exempted from filing an interim closure plan. The Company is reported to have said that it would submit a “closure and reclamation plan” in 2019.

De Beers officials have not made any comment on record on what shape the closure plans will take.

A report by CBC News indicates – based on “documents filed with the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board last year” – that “the N.W.T. government holds just under $ 40 million in reclamation security for the Snap Lake mine”.

It will be remembered that De Beers had  announced in December 2015 that Snap Lake would be put on care and maintenance; and the process had been completed by April 2016.   In December 2016, having failed to sell the mine, the Company had announced that it would proceed on an “extended care and maintenance” programme and would be flooding the mine in January 2017.

Earlier this month, De Beers handed over surplus equipment valued at about US$ 215,000   to two organisations in the Northwest Territories.

A scoop-tram that was used to load ore underground, two underground Toyota multi-utility trucks, and several sets of heavy duty wheel chocks – altogether valued at US$ $190,000 --were provided by De Beers to the Aurora College Mining Program. 

In addition, two modular construction trailers valued at US$ 25,000 were donated to Habitat for Humanity NWT, for use at the organisation’s ReStore located beside the City of Yellowknife’s solid waste management facility.

At the time, Erik Madsen, General Manager of Sustainability for De Beers Canada had said: “De Beers Canada is committed to creating a lasting legacy in the North. Both Aurora College and Habitat for Humanity have huge impact on the people and communities of the NWT. We would also like to thank our business partner Det’on Cho Logistics for their assistance in transporting the items to the College and Habitat for Humanity.”

“Being able to train students on real-world equipment similar to what they will encounter on the job site better prepares them for employment opportunities at the NWT diamond mines,” Jane Arychuk, President of Aurora College had commented. “Donations of equipment, such as the scoop from De Beers, also helps keep our costs down, which allows us to run more programmes.”