Argyle diamond mine at the Ekati mine, both in Canada. However, Argyle has two to four times the concentration of diamonds (ore grade) of these mines. This makes extraction economically feasible, as mine costs are mostly related to the amount of ore processed, not the amount of diamond extracted. In 2005, Rio Tinto was given the go-ahead to a future expansion project, moving it from an open pit to an underground mine. This plan was postponed; in September 2010 Rio Tinto announced fresh plans to develop an underground mine beneath the existing pit, increasing annual production to 9 million tonnes of ore. The
Tale of Ekati Tale of Ekati Tale of Ekati (foaled March 31, 2005]) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. The brown colt's sire is Tale of the Cat by leading sire Storm Cat. His dam, Silence Beauty (half sister to the champion mare Sky Beauty out of Maplejinksy), is by Sunday Silence. Tale of Ekati is owned by his breeder, Canadian geologist Charles E. Fipke and trained by Barclay Tagg who, in 2003, went two thirds of the way towards the Triple Crown with Funny Cide. At two, Tale of Ekati won the 2007 Belmont Futurity Stakes. At three he won the Jerome Handicap