Star Diamond Corporation, the sole proprietor of Fort à la Corne mineral rights, including the prominent Star-Orion South project, asserts it holds the largest untapped diamond deposit globally.
Situated in Saskatchewan’s Fort à la Corne provincial forest, approximately 60 km east of Prince Albert, the mineral dispositions benefit from proximity to highways and power infrastructure.
Recent evaluations show a 22% increase in indicated mineral resources for the Star deposit, totaling 34.8 million carats, with a grade rise of 20% to 19.4 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht). Meanwhile, the Orion South project boasts a 37% increase in indicated resources to 36.9 million carats, with a grade improvement of 32% to 17.9 cpht.
Star Diamond has decided against additional bulk sampling for estimating the Orion South kimberlite’s mineral resources, a move expected to save significant exploration costs and expedite the pre-feasibility study.
Star Diamond CEO Ewan Mason commented, “Our technical team and external consultants have dedicated 18 months to achieve these remarkable results. We aim to conclude a feasibility study by late 2026 and aim for construction commencement within 3-5 years.”
Star-Orion has a storied exploration history, culminating in full ownership acquisition in March following the purchase of Rio Tinto’s 75% interest in Fort à la Corne.
The companies previously clashed in court in 2020 over project development, stemming from a 2017 earn-in agreement. The dispute arose when Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, RTEC, opted to exercise its options in a single phase, which Star Diamond contested as undervalued.
Ultimately, Star Diamond retained full ownership and received C$100 million in machinery, equipment, supplies, a 10-year environmental bond, and C$4 million in cash in exchange for 17% of its stock, valued at approximately C$8.5 million. Mason noted Rio Tinto’s shift in focus from diamond projects to expanding its critical minerals portfolio, despite initial interest in replacing the aging Diavik mine.
