The Ice property is a diamond prospect located in Southeastern
British Columbia, Canada, near the B.C. border with Alberta in the Fort Steele Mining
Division. The property is 100% owned by Quest International Resources Corporation, with
the exception of a small group of claims (eight claims, including two placer claims) on
the west side of the property held under an option agreement. The Ice claims cover
approximately 15,025 hectares ( 37,100 acres). Consolidated Ramrod Gold Corporation,
the predecessor company to Quest International Resources Corporation, began exploration
for diamonds on the Ice property in 1993. The initial program consisted of airborne
geophysics and reconnaissance stream sediment sampling for indicator minerals. The program
located 21 magnetic and/or resistivity anomalies and 25 anomalous stream sediment samples
containing significant numbers of G9 and G10 pyrope garnets, chrome diopsides,
picro-ilmenites and chromites.
The 1994 follow-up exploration program focused on claims held in joint venture. This
program found four new kimberlite pipes, subsequently named the Bonus, Ram 5, Ram 6 and
Ram 6.5 pipes. A hand-dug, half cubic yard sample of kimberlite was taken from the Ram 5,
Ram 6 and Ram 6.5 pipes. The samples yielded abundant G9 and G10 pyrope garnets, chrome
diopsides, picro-ilmenites, chromites and two diamonds two millimeters in size.
In 1996 a surface bulk sampling program was completed for the Ram 5, Ram 6, and Ram 6.5
pipes. The samples totaled approximately 90 tons and consist mostly of overburden material
mixed with 5% to 10% kimberlite. Material processed includes 35 tons from the Ram 5 pipe,
15 tons from Ram 6 pipe and 40 tons from Ram 6.5 pipe. A total of six diamonds were
recovered from the processed samples. Three diamonds were found in the Ram 5 sample, three
diamonds in the Ram 6.5 sample and no diamonds were recovered from the Ram 6 sample. The
diamonds recovered from the Ram 5 pipe are larger and of much better quality than those
recovered from the Ram 6.5 pipe. Despite the fact that 90% of the Ram 5 pipe 35-ton bulk
sample is non-kimberlitic material, diamonds weighing 0.255 ct were recovered.
The most important result of the bulk sample test on the three pipes is the recovery of
diamonds. The Ice property has been proven to be diamondiferous and the property has high
commercial potential.
Quest is planning additional work on the property this fall, including heavy mineral
sampling in the relatively unexplored southern part of the property. Several hundred
pounds of kimberlite will be collected from the Bonus, Ram 5 and Ram 6.5 pipes and will be
submitted to a diamond laboratory located in Saskatchewan for further diamond analysis.
