Modern Mining July 2019

COUNTRY FOCUS: BOTSWANA

mine, which was commissioned in 2012 by Lucara Diamond Corp. The Phase II bulk sample design for BK16 will be a basic small and shallow boxcut-style bulk sample; 25 m of over-burden will be stripped to expose the kimberlite below result- ing in a depth of the boxcut of 30 to 35 m. Tsodilo has held advanced discussions with Trollope Botswana for the purpose of under- taking the boxcut-style surface bulk sampling programme on behalf of the company. Trollope is the main contract mining company at Karowe, which is located 25 km south-west of BK16. Tsodilo believes Trollope has the experi- ence and expertise to conduct this surface bulk sample in an efficient, safe and professional manner. The company is also exploring the possibilities of using continuous miner type technology and is in discussions with Vermeer Corp on the viability of this option. Tsodilo is in the process of finalising the bulk sample design plans and these – along with a rehabilitation design – will be verified by an independent mining engineer prior to final consultation with and approval by the DOM. Photo courtesy of Tsodilo

to a surface bulk sample method to obtain the required volumes as efficiently as possible. The company has determined that a surface bulk sample of a boxcut-style design will be the most economic and viable option for Phase II and, to this end, a number of contract mining compa- nies were contacted to quote on surface bulk sampling of 20 000 tonnes of kimberlite. Tsodilo says the envisioned Phase II surface bulk sampling programme constitutes standard industry practice for diamond exploration of kimberlites such as BK16 to gain enough carats for an effective economic analysis. A similar style of surface bulk sampling was employed by the Boteti Joint Venture (De Beers Prospecting and African Diamonds) during their Phase II exploration of the AK6 kimberlite in 2006. That Phase II surface bulk sampling recov- ered 19 467 tonnes of kimberlite which – when combined with the LDD sample drilling of 6 045 tonnes – formed the basis of the AK6 resource statement and positive feasibility study in 2007. The positive diamond recovery results obtained from these samples led to a mining licence application being filed in 2008 followed by the development of the Karowe

July 2019  MODERN MINING  39