The board of Botswana Diamonds is pleased to confirm that a drilling programme will start the third week of September on Prospecting Licence No PL117/2011 in Orapa, Botswana.The two specific targets to be drilled, AN117/1 and AN117/2, are in the Northern part of this small 2.9 sq km block. The targets, identified from recent work by Sunland Minerals, the 50/50 joint venture between Alrosa and Botswana Diamonds, are prospective for the discovery of kimberlite bodies.

Verification drilling depth will be 100 metres and after the core is studied in Botswana, specimens and samples will be sent for analysis to St. Petersburg. Two holes will be drilled on mineralogical and geophysical anomaly AN117/2. Two or three holes will be drilled on mineralogical anomaly AN117/1. Additional geophysical works will be carried out in September on this area. In addition, the board is pleased to announce that the final report from Sunland Minerals prepared by Alrosa geologists will be received in the near future. This will outline opportunities arising from the detailed analysis of field data collected by the joint venture in recent months. An extensive work programme is being finalised on the new licences recently awarded to the joint venture. An enlarged team of Alrosa geologists, geophysicists and mineralogists will join the Botswana Diamonds team in Botswana, mid-September.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented “Activity is quickening in our Sunland joint venture with Alrosa, the largest diamond producer in the world. In September we will drill holes on each of two previously unknown anomalies on the PL117 block in Orapa, Botswana. These are verification holes targeting kimberlites. “The final results of the geochemical, geophysical and mineralogical analyses carried out on the fieldwork data collected earlier will be received by Botswana Diamonds in the near future.

“In addition, we are finalising an extensive Orapa exploration programme on our new ground also starting in September. It has taken two years of painstaking data gathering and analysis to get to first drilling. The programme is eagerly anticipated.”