JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds’ JV with Russian diamond producer Alrosa will begin exploration in the Orapa and Gope areas of Botswana at the end of September.
“The Alrosa/Botswana Diamonds JV will begin an intensive 12-week exploration programme on our ground in Botswana. Core holes will be drilled on three licences, two on the known kimberlite AK22 in Orapa, two on licence PL 085, also in Orapa, and four on licence PL 135 in Gope. Earlier work has pinpointed sites we believe may contain new diamondiferous kimberlites,” says chairperson John Teeling.
An intensive programme of geophysics and soil sampling will be carried out on the four other licences held in Gope and an Alrosa team of seven specialists will be joined by geologists and support crew from Botswana Diamonds.
The JV is still waiting on final results from the analysis of the 80 t of material recovered from the two large-diameter drillholes on kimberlite AK21 on licence PL 260 in Orapa.
Botswana Diamonds noted that delays in finding a company in South Africa capable of concluding the work were compounded by an inconclusive result.
Concentrate is now being returned to Botswana for evaluation by Alrosa specialists.
Core from earlier boreholes on AK21 is being sent to a laboratory for caustic fusion analysis.