Gahcho Kué Mine is owned as a joint venture between Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. and De Beers Canada Inc. Located about 280 km northeast of Yellowknife, it is Canada’s newest diamond mine and the world’s largest in the last 14 years. After two years of construction, commercial operations began in September 2016(Gahcho Kué Mine Update | Yellowknife Geoscience Forum, n.d.).
The surface is characterised as heath/tundra, with occasional knolls, bedrock outcrops, and localised surface depressions interspersed with lakes. A thin, discontinuous cover of organic and mineral soil overlies bedrock, which typically occurs within a few metres of surface. Small stands of stunted spruce dot the area. Numerous lakes cover the landscape. Kennady Lake, under which the kimberlites were discovered, is a local headwater lake with a minimal catchment area.
Four kimberlites are presently mined in an open pit scenario: 5034, Hearne, Tuzo, and Wilson. Mining began in 2016 with the 5034 kimberlite, with Hearne and Tuzo subsequently incorporated into production. Mining at Hearne will be completed in 2024, while production at Tuzo will continue to increase. Near-mine discoveries since production began include the NEX and SWC extensions to 5034, the Wilson kimberlite adjacent to Tuzo, and the Northwest Extension below Hearne. These discoveries have extended the open pit life of mine at Gahcho Kué to 2031(Gahcho Kué, n.d.).
Reference:
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Gahcho Kué. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2025, from https://www.mountainprovince.com/gahcho-kue
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Gahcho Kué Mine Update | Yellowknife Geoscience Forum. (n.d.). Retrieved July 16, 2025, from https://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/gsforum/gahcho-ku%C3%A9-mine-update
