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IndustryMining9TuesdayNovember262013ByMARIACHURCHDominionDiamondHold-ingsLtd.hassubmittedaproposaltodrilltwonewkimberlitepipesattheEkatidiamondminesitebutwith-outtimelyapprovalfromregulatorstheNWTsrstdiamondminewillother-wisefaceclosurein2019whenthecurrentpipesareexhausted.BrendanBellpresidentofexternalaffairsforDo-minionsaiditsessentialthecompanydoesntfacedelaysreceivingapprovalfromthevariousregulatorsobtainingpermitsandpre-strippingandconstructingthenewpipes.Ifby2020wedonthaveorereadytogototheprocessplantwellbeoutoforeinthecurrentmineplanandeffectivelywedhavetoshuttheminedownhetoldTheJournal.Everythingneedstobeperfectlyalignedforthistowork.TheexpansionproposalputforthbyDominionwouldseetwonewkimberlitepipesJayandCardinaldrilledatthecurrentminesitelocatedroughly300kmnortheastofYellowknife.Jaythelargerofthetwokimberlitepipeswouldbeminedasanopenpitforaround10yearsandun-dergroundforvetosevenyears.Cardinalwouldbeminedforashorterperiodoftimebutcontainshighgradeore.Bothprojectswouldseetheminelifeextendedbyupto20years.BecausethenewpipeswillbedrilledatthecurrentEkatisiteDominionwontberequiredtobuildnewtail-ingsfacilitiesairstripspro-cessplantsorcampswhichshouldexpeditetheapprovalBellsaid.DespitethetighttimelinehesaidtheyarecondenttheJay-Cardinalproposalwillreceivethego-aheadfromregulatorsparticularlyoncedevolutiontakesplaceintheNWTnextyear.Thosewhohavethemostinvestedinthiswillbemak-ingthedecisionsandwethinkthatwillleadtothebestandmostexpedientdecisionssowearequiteencouragedbydevolutionBellsaid.ThepeoplethathavethemosttogainwhoarethemostinvestedinwhetherthisprojectgoesaheadordoesntgoaheadarethosepeoplewholiveintheNorthwestTerritories.Itsafardiffer-entrealitythanifyouareinOttawamakingdecisiononbehalfofNortherners.DominionDiamondsproposesEkatimineexpansionMinefacesclosureifregulatorsdelayexpansionapprovalByMARIACHURCHConcernsaboutthefu-tureoftheminingindustrywereechoedataGeoscienceForumheldinYellowknifelastweekbutoptimismpre-vailedfollowingtheGNWTslaunchoftheNWTMineralDevelopmentStrategy.TomHoeferexecutivedirectoroftheNWTandNunavutChamberofMinessaidthemineralstrategyhasbeenalong-timecominginresponsetoanindustryfac-inguncertainty.Overthepastfewyearsglobalmarketinstabilityhascausedadeclineinmin-inginvestmentandexplora-tion.IntheNWTinvestmentNWTminingindustryremainsuncertainMiningStrategyunveiledduringGeoscienceForuminYellowknifeIndustryMininghasdroppedtoitslowestpointsincethe2008globalrecession.Everybodysinthesameboatrightnow.Ifyougoacrossthecountryifyougoacrosstheworlditsnotagreatyear.ItsoneoftheworstonrecordHoefersaid.Thequestionisnowhowcanwegetreadyforchangeandinuencechangesoweendupturningitaround.Devolutionhesaidwillrepresentthegreatestchangefortheminingindustryastheterritorytakesovercontrolofitsresourcedevelopment.Accordingtoapressre-leasefromtheGNWTtheminingstrategyfocuswillincludecreatingacompeti-tiveedgechangingthereg-ulatorysystemAboriginalengagementsustainabilityandpublicawareness.Theyvecapturedalotofgoalsinthereandtheyareap-propriategoalsHoefersaid.ThestrategyistherstofitskindintheNWTandwillbefollowedbyacon-creteactionplanexpectedtobereleasedinearly2014.Theminingindustryiscur-rentlythelargestemployerintheNWT.DominionDi-amondsEkatiminealoneemploysaround1500peo-pleandpartnerswithseveralFirstNationsdevelopmentcompanies.PhotoDaveBroshaPhotoDaveBroshaDominionDiamondshasproposedbuildingtwonewkimberlitepipestoextendEkatioperationsbyupto20years.MiningintheNWTlastyearsawrecordlowinvestmentandexplorationnumberssince2008causingconcernamongcompanieslikeDominionDiamondswhichownsEkatimine.