The NWT’s Ekati diamond mine is asking regulators for permission to turn its Sable open pit into an underground mining operation.
Beginning to mine underground at Sable is an important milestone in Ekati owner Burgundy’s attempt to keep the mine running – in some form – until 2040.
Submitting plans for Sable earlier this month, Ekati urged regulators to provide “timely authorization” of the initial work needed to switch to underground mining.
“Achieving kimberlite production … in 2026 is a critical operating necessity because the Sable open pit will be complete in 2024 and the Misery underground will be complete in 2026, leaving a single source of kimberlite supply to the process plant (the Point Lake open pit), which risks the financial viability and sustainability of the business,” Burgundy wrote.
Mining underground at Sable “mitigates this operational risk, increases confidence in the stability of socio-economic benefits, and extends the scheduled operating life of Ekati mine,” a cover letter included with the application added.
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Last week, the Wek’èezhìı Land and Water Board said it would schedule a public hearing to examine the application in more detail – a standard practice for something of this size.
Open-pit mining at Sable, to the north of the main Ekati camp, began in 2018.
Burgundy says the Sable underground plan requires “no new land disturbance” because new buildings and equipment will be placed within the existing open pit as mining begins beneath. Waste rock would be added to existing piles.
Initial work to open up Sable would involve creating the entrance, or portal, to the underground area, then dropping down to the “first production level” and building what is known as a fresh air raise to allow ventilation.
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Burgundy thinks Sable should be operational for at least five years, “with possible extensions.”
“This extends and increases stability of northern employment, community benefits and general northern economic benefits,” Burgundy wrote, adding that Sable underground is “an important component of Burgundy’s plans to establish a longer-term future for Ekati mine by securing additional time and cash flow for longer-term opportunities to be designed, permitted, and implemented.”
Ekati’s neighbour, Diavik, is owned by Rio Tinto and will close in 2026. The NWT’s third and final operating diamond mine, Gahcho Kué, is majority owned and operated by De Beers and is currently expected to close in 2030.
