Botswana Diamonds (BOD), the AIM and BSE listed diamond explorer, has discovered a new second Kimberlite blow at its Thorny River Project within the Zebediela Kimberlite field, which is about the same size as the previously discovered blow.
By Shantel Chisango
Commenting on the discoveries of the second kimberlite blow, BOD Chairman John Teeling “these are very good results. What was originally a six-hole Reverse Circulation drilling programme going eastwards from the River Blow was led westwards by good ongoing drilling indications, including one hole with an 18-metre intersection of kimberlite.
“An additional six holes brought the drilling close to the River Blow. We fully expect the next phase of drilling to join the two discoveries into one continuous blow. This would double the volume of ore. It is worth noting that the kimberlite dyke system at Thorny River contains an average of 60 diamond carats per one hundred tons of ore. We expect the current discovery to maintain that pattern,” said Teeling.
The Company stated that the discoveries at Thorny River are within the Zebediela kimberlite field and that the field chiefly consists of a series of consistently diamondiferous kimberlite dykes with a strike length of 20-km.
On the Kimberlite dyke, there are a number of blows being Kudu, Sugarbird, Sugarbird Pass (all part of the Klipspringer diamond mine), and Marsfontein.
The four blows have been mined out, with the latter being mined by a De Beers/ SouthernEra joint venture with a payback of three and a half days.
Marsfontein is 3.5 km west and on strike from the Company’s discoveries. The objective of the exploration programme is to discover additional blows.