Aim- and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed Botswana Diamonds on Thursday announced that the first phase of the intensification drilling programme at its Thorny River prospect, in South Africa, has been concluded.
Eighteen holes have been drilled with 12 intersecting kimberlite, the company stated in a release, adding that a bulk sampling target of 1.5 km of kimberlite fissure intersection had been identified.
The second phase of the drilling programme, taking place on the farm Frischgewaagt, has commenced, with three holes drilled so far, all of which intersected kimberlite.
The third hole intersected 4.5 m of kimberlite fissure down the hole, which is the thickest section intersected on the project, to date.
This hole also produced a mantle xenolith (eclogite) composed of clinopyroxene and garnet, which is indicative of a high diamond content.
The third and final phase of the drilling programme will start once a detailed gravity survey has been concluded over two potential kimberlite blows on the same property.
Botswana diamonds noted that the purpose of this new drilling programme is to enable detailed planning for a bulk sampling programme, which will start on completion of drilling activities and after the necessary regulatory approvals have been received.
Said approvals are expected within the next two months.
Refurbishment of a nearby diamond processing plant to process the bulk sample kimberlite is currently under way. Work has started on potential secondary (alluvial) diamond deposits in the project area.
The nearby and worked-out Marsfontein diamond mine was host to eluvial diamond deposits running at grades of 1 433 carats per hundred tonnes.