Modern Mining September 2017

MINING News

Botswana Diamonds plans large diameter drilling at Zebediela

Botswana Diamonds, the AIM- and BSE- listed explorer, has provided a further update on its Vutomi Joint Venture in South Africa, which includes the Zebediela and Ontevreden projects. Seventeen reverse circulation percus- sion holes have been drilled at Zebediela on the farms Frischgewaagt, Hartbeesfontein andDoornrivier in Limpopo Province.These holes have been drilled to further delineate the extensive kimberlite pipe/fissure sys- tem and as pilot holes for a Large Diameter drilling programme which is scheduled to commence in October. This, along with previous geological and resource develop- ment work, is targeting the declaration of an inferred resource on the project by the end of the year. Zebediela is located in close prox- imity to the De Beers/SouthernEra

Marsfontein mine, which had an average grade of 172 cpht and diamond value of US$128/ct. Capital payback on the proj- ect – which was active between 1998 and 2000 – was less than four days. At Ontevreden, the company’s latest kimberlite discovery in the North West Province of South Africa, detailed ground geophysics has been completed produc- ing a minimum anomaly size of 100 m x 70 m. Samples of the high interest Group 2 kimberlite have been taken for kimberlitic indicator analyses and these are currently being processed through in-house facili- ties.  The grains will be microprobed at the University of Johannesburg. Ontevreden is close to Petra’s Helam mine which has grades running as high as 500 cpht and diamond values of US$255/ct. 

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A reverse circulation percussion rig drilling delineation holes at Zebediela (photo: Botswana Diamonds).

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IronRidge appoints Exploration Manager AIM-listed IronRidge Resources has appointed Joe Clarry to the position of Exploration Manager. The com- pany says the appointment bolsters its management team as it continues to expand and develop its projects in Africa, in particular its rapidly devel- oping lithium project portfolio. His immediate focus will be on the rapidly advancing Cape Coast lithium project

in Ghana as it moves towards initial drill planning. Clarry’s experience includes exten- sive lithium pegmatite and gold exploration and project studies through- out West Africa and Australia in both grassroots exploration and brownfields settings. More recently, he was involved in the rapid delineation of a spodumene dominant lithium pegmatite in Mali. 

September 2017  MODERN MINING  11