Botswana Diamonds starts drilling at Ontevreden kimberlite pipe
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds has started drilling at the Ontevreden kimberlite pipe, which is part of the company’s Vutomi Joint Venture in South Africa and which contains significant quantities of G10 and G9 garnets.
“We are pleased to announce the commencement of drilling at the Ontevreden kimberlite pipe. We know that the pipe contains significant quantities of G10 and G9 garnets, which are high-quality diamond indicator minerals frequently found in high-grade kimberlite pipes. The drilling is to discover diamonds,” Botswana Diamonds chairperson John Teeling commented in a statement released on Tuesday.
Following the discovery of a kimberlite pipe at Ontevreden in July 2017, work was undertaken to ascertain the potential for the pipe to be diamondiferous.
Results from ground samples taken from the pipe were analysed and produced abundant G9, G10, and complementary eclogitic garnets in a mix typically associated with high-grade kimberlites.
Rock geochemistry undertaken by the Council for Geosciences categorised Ontevreden as a Group 2 kimberlite. Detailed ground geophysics have also been undertaken and this identified a minimum surface pipe surface area of 100 m x 70 m.
The drilling operations will confirm the size, provide an understanding of the internal geology and enough samples to enable both petrography and microdiamond analyses, the company explained.
The Ontevreden kimberlite pipe is close to diamond miner Petra Diamonds' now mothballed Helam mine.
Comments
The
functionality
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation