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Dec 17, 2007
Peregrine Announces Modelled Values of US$43 to US$70 Per Carat for
DO-27 Bulk Sample Diamonds
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Release in PDF Format
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - Monday, December 17, 2007 - Brooke
Clements, President of Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. ("Peregrine") (TSX:
PGD) is pleased to report modelled diamond values for 2,075 carats of
diamonds recovered from the nine hectare DO-27 kimberlite pipe, WO Diamond
Project, NT, Canada. The average modelled value ranged from US$43 to US$70
per carat, with a "Base Case" average of US$51 per carat. The
valuation was completed in Antwerp, Belgium under the supervision of WWW
International Diamond Consultants Ltd. ("WWW"), an internationally
recognized diamond valuation and consultancy company. These valuation
results, along with updated grade and geological information, will be used by
Peregrine and AMEC Americas Ltd. ("AMEC") to complete the
Preliminary Technical Assessment ("PTA") report, which will
investigate the current economic potential of DO-27.
DIAMOND VALUATION RESULTS
The cumulative 2,075 carat diamond parcel was acquired by large diameter,
reverse circulation bulk sample drilling campaigns completed by Peregrine in
2005, 2006 and 2007. All of the diamonds valued are from the Main Lobe and
Northeast Lobe pyroclastic kimberlite ("PK") units. An additional
188 carats that were recovered from other minor, volumetrically
insignificant, Northeast Lobe lithologies in 2006 and 2007 were not included
in the valuation model as these lithologies may not be included in the final
resource model. Detailed information on the three bulk sampling campaigns can
be found in Peregrine press releases dated June 14, 2005, September 5, 2006
and September 18, 2007.
The valuation results are summarized in the table below.
DO-27
DIAMOND VALUATION RESULTS
Bulk Sampling Program
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Weight
Of Valuation Sample (Carats)(1)
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Largest Diamonds (Carats)
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“Base Case” Diamond Price Model
(US$/Carat)(2)
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“High” Diamond Price Model (US$/Carat)(2)
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“Low” Diamond Price Model (US$/Carat)(2)
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2007
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1,566
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9.45,
7.03, 6.03, 5.17, 4.84, 4.35, 4.19
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$52
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$72
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$39
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2006/2005
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509(3)
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7.11,
3.91, 2.34
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$46
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$62
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$41
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Combined
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2,075(4)
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$51
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$70
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$43
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(1)
Sample weights represent the total carat weight of diamonds presented for
valuation following the combination of individual sub-samples and after acid
cleaning.
(2) As determined by WWW International Diamond Consultants Ltd.
(3) Values from the WWW October, 2006 price book, as reported by
Peregrine on November 6, 2006.
(4) The combined sample was re-priced
and modelled based on the WWW October 31, 2007 price book.
The modelled price estimates for DO-27 represent an average diamond price in
the rough diamond market in November, 2007 that might reasonably be expected,
based on standard production-scale recoveries of commercial sized diamonds
greater than 1.00 mm
in size.
The most valuable diamonds in the 2007 parcel were a 4.35 carat fancy yellow
octahedron and a 4.19 carat white stepped octahedron, both valued at US$1,900
per carat (see photograph at: http://www.pdiam.com/i/photos/2x4caraters.jpg).
In addition to determining a modelled average price, WWW showed a 1,123 carat
parcel from the Main Lobe PK lithology from the 2007 bulk sample to four
other internationally recognized, Antwerp-based rough diamond valuators in
order to obtain additional market-based, unmodelled valuations. This parcel
was selected for spot price valuation as it was the single largest
representative parcel of Main Lobe PK diamonds. Average October, 2007 spot
prices for the 1,123 carat parcel of US$46, US$48, US$52 and US$56 per carat
respectively were determined by the four groups whereas the average spot
price determined by WWW was US$46 per carat.
WWW believes it is highly unlikely that the modelled average price will be
lower than the minimum values and that the high values should not be
considered maximum values. The modelled average price is extremely sensitive
to the value of large diamonds so there is a high degree of uncertainty in
the modelled value of the larger stones that would be expected in a
production scenario. This is an important fact given that the 2,075 carat
parcel submitted for modelling contained only 22 stones greater than
two carats and five stones greater than five carats.
Diamond price models principally attempt to correct for an absence of large
diamonds which are typically under-represented at this scale of bulk
sampling. WWW commented that the bulk samples are still considered small for
fully modelling the average dollar value per carat. Usually, the average
diamond price from a bulk sample is lower than the average diamond price for
the resource in a mining scenario. WWW has indicated that for typical
kimberlite diamond mines, 7,000 carats would usually give an unmodelled
average price within 10 percent of the true value of a production scenario
and a 3,000 carat parcel an unmodelled true value within 15 percent. After
modelling of the price for a 3,000 carat parcel, confidence limits would be
expected to tighten to within 10 percent.
FUTURE WORK
Information from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 bulk sampling, core drilling and
diamond valuation programs is being used by AMEC to construct geological and
resource models for DO-27. The results of that work will allow the completion
of the PTA by AMEC. The PTA will investigate possible mining and processing
scenarios for DO-27 based on the geological and resource models. As reported
on July 24, 2007, the PTA will include a study of alternative front-end
processing techniques to take advantage of the soft, low work index,
characteristics of DO-27 kimberlite. The final completion of the PTA, and associated
resource models, is expected in the second quarter of 2008. As part of the
resource model portion of the PTA, average grade and average per carat
diamond values for DO-27 may be adjusted to optimize recovery cut-off sizes
to better reflect potential mining and processing scenarios.
Though Peregrine and WWW recognize that a larger diamond parcel from DO-27
would result in higher confidence levels in the average diamond value,
Peregrine believes that all the data currently in hand are sufficient to allow
a reasonable assessment of the economic potential of DO-27 in the PTA. Therefore,
no additional bulk sampling campaigns are currently planned at DO-27 for the
winter 2008 field season.
Jennifer Pell, Ph.D., P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist for Peregrine Diamonds Ltd.,
is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101, for work on the DO-27 kimberlite.
Ms. Pell monitored the valuation process in Antwerp for Peregrine. Howard
Coopersmith, an internationally recognized consultant to the diamond
industry, was Peregrine's external Qualified Person for the 2005, 2006 and
2007 bulk sampling programs. Quality control and assurance protocols and
procedures for the processing, transport, recovery, valuation and security of
the diamonds conform to industry standard Chain of Custody provisions and
were reviewed and verified by both Peregrine's internal and external
Qualified Person.
Peregrine is a Canadian diamond exploration/development company that is
managed by experienced geoscientists. In addition to work on the DO-27 kimberlite,
Peregrine is also exploring for other diamondiferous kimberlites on its
extensive land holdings in Canada. As reported on November 22, 2007,
Peregrine has discovered a new diamondiferous kimberlite field on the Nanuq
property in the eastern Arctic region of Nunavut. Peregrine trades on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "PGD".
For further information, please contact Jim Crawford, Manager - Investor
Relations at 604-408-8880 or at jim@pdiam.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This document
includes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but
are not limited to statements concerning Peregrine's projects and other
statements that are not historical facts. When used in this document, the
words such as "could," "confident," "plan,"
"estimate," "expect," "anticipated,"
"intend," "likely," "may,"
"potential," "should," "scheduled,"
"significant," and similar expressions are forward-looking
statements. Although Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. believes that its expectations
reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements
involve risk and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual
results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Important
factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking
statements are disclosed in the corporation's periodic filings with Canadian
regulators.
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