May 31, 2005

Lavalin wins $16M contract

Diking diamonds for underwater mining

MONTREAL

Nishi-Khon/SNC-Lavalin Ltd. has been awarded a $16-million contract by Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. to provide procurement and construction management services for a dike in the Northwest Territories.

The dike, to be built near Lac de Gras on East Island, about 220 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle will allow access to high-grade diamond deposits embedded in underwater volcanic rock formations known as kimberlite pipes, the company said.

Nishi Khon/SNC-Lavalin Ltd. is a joint venture between Nishi-Khon Engineering and Environmental Services Ltd. and Montreal-based worldwide engineering firm SNC-Lavalin providing engineering and environmental services in the Northwest Territories.

Once completed, the dike will be 1.29 kilometres long, with a maximum height of 32 metres, requiring approximately one million cubic metres of rockfill.

“Construction of the dike requires innovative techniques which are remarkable in their own right, even aside from the constraints of the short working season in the barren lands of the Northwest Territories,” said Luc Turcotte, project manager for SNC-Lavalin.

The Diavik Diamond Mine, located 300 km northeast of Yellowknife is a joint venture between Diavik and Aber Diamond LP.

Print | Email | Comment