TORONTO AND NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /CNW/ --
Shares Issued and Outstanding: 80,295,558
TSX: MPV
NYSE- AMEX: MDM
TORONTO AND NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2011 /CNW/ - Mountain Province Diamonds
Inc. ('Mountain Province', the 'Company') (TSX: MPV, NYSE-AMEX: MDM)
today announced that after receiving unsolicited expressions of
interest from third parties the Company has decided to cease
discussions and other engagement with those third parties in order to
focus management's attention on the following key activities: the
permitting of the Gahcho Kué Project, arranging Mountain Province's
share of the financing for the first mine at Gahcho Kué, advancing the
Tuzo Deep drill program at Gahcho Kué and exploration at the Company's
100% controlled Kennady North project .
Commenting, Mountain Province President and CEO, Patrick Evans, said:
'Gahcho Kué is the world's largest and highest grade diamond
development project, located in the world's most stable diamond
producing region, so it's inevitable that we've attracted the interest
of other participants in the diamond industry. While the Board has
welcomed third party interest in Mountain Province, the Company is
currently focused on advancing the permitting and financing for the
first mine at Kennady Lake, two activities that require the full
attention of management. Also, our two major exploration programs at
Kennady Lake - the planned Kennady North airborne gravity survey and
the Tuzo Deep drill program - both have the potential to add
significantly to Gahcho Kué's current 49 million carat reserve. Under
the circumstances, the Board is of the view that further engagement
with third parties might be premature before the results of these
exploration programs have been announced.'
Mountain Province recently announced that the Gahcho Kué Environmental
Impact Review Panel ('Panel') has declared that the 11,000-page Gahcho
Kué Environmental Impact Statement conforms to the rigorous terms of
reference set by the Panel, which clears the way for the commencement
of the environmental review. Mr. Evans added: 'The environmental review
is a period of intense engagement that requires the full attention of
the Gahcho Kué JV partners to ensure its successful conclusion'.
Mountain Province is also pleased to announce that following the
approval by the JV partners of the definitive feasibility study the
Company has been approached by one of Canada's major commercial banks
proposing to lead the arrangement of a project finance facility for
Mountain Province's share of the construction costs for the first mine
at Gahcho Kué. Discussions relating to this are continuing and the
Company expects to make a further announcement in due course.
The first phase of the Tuzo Deep drill program, which is designed to
test the depth extension of the Tuzo kimberlite pipe located on the
Gahcho Kué JV property, is also set to commence during the current
third quarter of 2011. Based on the success of this first phase drill
program, the JV partners will plan a second phase infill drill program
to commence in early 2012.
Exploration at the Kennady North Project, which is located immediately
to the west and north of the Gahcho Kué JV property at Kennady Lake, is
set to resume with a planned 50-meter line-spacing airborne gravity
survey. The airborne gravity survey will also be flown over the four
leases of the Gahcho Kué JV. Subject to favourable weather conditions,
the airborne gravity survey is expected to be commence during the
current third quarter of 2011.
****
About Mountain Province Diamonds
Mountain Province is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the
Gahcho Kué JV located at Kennady Lake in Canada's Northwest
Territories. The Gahcho Kué Project consists of a cluster of four
diamondiferous kimberlites, three of which have a probable mineral
reserve of 31.3 million tonnes grading 1.57 carats per tonne for total
diamond content of 49 million carats.
Gahcho Kué is the world's largest and highest grade diamond development
project. A December 1, 2010 feasibility study filed by Mountain
Province (available on SEDAR) indicates that the Gahcho Kué project has
an IRR of 33.9%.
Mountain Province also controls 100% of the Kennady North Diamond
Project adjacent to the De Beers JV property. Kennady North hosts four
known diamondiferous kimberlites and a number of unexplained kimberlite
mineral indicators. Exploration at Kennady North is set to resume.
Qualified Person
This news release has been prepared under the supervision of Carl G.
Verley, P.Geo., who serves as the qualified person under National
Instrument 43-101.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the 'safe-harbor' provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding the Company's business and/or
financial condition. Actual results could differ materially from those
described in this news release as a result of numerous factors, some of
which are outside the control of the Company.
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2011/24/c5855.html
Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.
Patrick Evans, President and CEO
Tel: 416-670-5114
401 Bay Street, Suite 2700
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2Y4
Phone: (416) 361-3562
Fax: (416) 603-8565
info@mountainprovince.com
