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.
Ekati Diamond Mine 62-million-year-old kimberlite pipes (Creaser et al., 2004) of the Lac de Gras kimberlite field, most of which lie underneath shallow lakes. Between 1998 and 2009, the mine has produced 40 million carats () of diamonds out of six open pits. As the high grade ore close to surface was depleted, development was completed to access the ore utilizing underground methods. Currently, there is one underground operation (Koala) with open-cut mining occurring in Fox Pit. The mine's current annual production is estimated to be approximately 7.5 million carats () of diamonds. Ekati supplies rough diamonds to the global market through its