The first surface and underground diamond mine in Canada is going to be expanded, if the diamond company that owns it has its way, Diamond Intelligence reports. The Dominion Diamond Corporation has already submitted an application to expand the Ekati mine to include two new kimberlite pipes, called Jay and Cardinal. If their requests are approved by the relevant authorities and the extension is built, it would extend the life of the mine by another decade or two. At current extraction rates, Ekati is projected to produce rough diamonds for another six years.

The first step in the regulatory process is the acquisition of a land-use permit and a water license from the Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board. The next step would be an environmental impact assessment. The Jay and Cardinal kimberlite pipes are located within the Ekati concession but are still about seven kilometers from the closest area currently being mined and about 25 kilometers from the project's main facilities, according to Diamond Intelligence.