Canadian diamonds a 20% ownership of the mine, and since its discovery and start of operation in 1998, Ekati has produced over 40 million carats of diamonds. The discovery and later success of this diamond mine caught the attention of other major mining operations, and more massive mines were opened and fully operational within 10 years. Located approximately 53 miles southeast of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine, the Gahcho Kue Diamond Mine Project is one of the richest diamond mines in Canada with an expected lifespan of 11 years. It is estimated that 54,000,000 carats will be recovered during the mine's lifetime.
Argyle diamond mine of the open pit; these reserves would be mined underground (by block caving), rather than the open pit method currently used. In late 2005, Rio Tinto Ltd concluded that the operation was economically feasible. Pre-production construction of the underground mine commenced in early to mid 2006 The Argyle diamond mine is economically feasible because its large reserves and high-grade ore offset a low average diamond value. The estimated value of Argyle diamond production is only US$7 per carat ($35/g); this compares to values of $70 per carat ($350/g) for diamonds produced at the Diavik mine and US$170 per carat ($850/g)