Diamond company Botswana Diamonds will embark on follow-up ground geophysics on four anomalies that were identified contiguous with the company’s KX36 project in the Kalahari, in Botswana.

They were identified by the heavy mineral train flowing from KX36 where it is thought that there may be undiscovered buried kimberlites in the vicinity of KX36 as kimberlites generally occur in clusters and not in isolation.

The KX36 project is a 3.5 ha kimberlite pipe in the Kalahari.

The pipe has resources of 17.9-million tonnes at 35 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht) and 6.7-milllion tonnes at 36 cpht.

The modelled grade range is 57 cpht to 76 cpht at an estimated diamond value of up to $107/ct.

“Kimberlites occur in clusters, currently only KX36 has been discovered in this particular kimberlite field in the Kalahari so there should be more kimberlites waiting to be discovered.  This work forms part of our emerging Kalahari strategy which could lead to this area being a major diamond producer,” says chairperson John Teeling.

Two anomalies identified in PL224/2007 and a further two identified in PL169/2019 will be followed up with gravity and time domain electromagnetic methods following rigorous reprocessing of aeromagnetic data.

The subtle aeromagnetic anomalies proven by ground magnetics will be followed up with the gravity and time domain electromagnetic method and accordingly modelled to further verify the shapes and sizes of the targets prior to designing a drill programme.

All the targets are within a 6 km radius of the company’s KX36 kimberlite pipe and they may be key additions to the existing resources, it highlights.

“The new kimberlite targets have great potential to upgrade the existing resources in the area, including at the Ghaghoo mine, which is currently under care and maintenance and only 60 km away from the KX36 project,” Botswana Diamonds says.