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14
MODERN MINING
October 2015
MINING News
Prospecting licence
awarded to joint venture
AIM-listed Botswana Diamonds (BOD)
reports that the Botswana government has
awarded prospecting licence PL260/2015 to
Sunland Minerals. Sunland Minerals is the
50/50 joint venture exploration company
owned by BOD and Alrosa.
PL260/2015, covers ground which is the
highest priority for the BOD/Alrosa joint ven-
ture. It contains three previously-discovered
kimberlite bodies, AK21, AK22 and AK23.
As the joint venture exploration team is
currently active in the area, work has com-
menced immediately on reviewing the block
with a view to defining new anomalies and
drill targets. The existing kimberlites are
being reviewed as part of this work to verify
if they warrant further evaluation.
The new licence covers 25 km
2
in the
Orapa region of Botswana and is valid for
three years.
Caledonia Mining Corporation, which
operates the Blanket gold mine in
Zimbabwe, says it is making good prog-
ress on the capital works required for the
Revised Investment Plan for the mine. As
Caledonia announced last year, the plan
involves developing a ‘Tramming Loop’
750 m below surface; the continued sink-
ing of the No 6 winze to provide access to
deeper level resources; and the sinking of
a new 6-mdiameter Central Shaft from sur-
face to 1 080 m.
The Central Shaft will provide access
to the current inferred mineral resources
below 750 m and allow for further explo-
ration, development and mining in these
sections along the known Blanket strike,
ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company has
identified a confirmed kimberlite (L259)
next to the prolific Mining Block 8 allu-
vial diamond field at Lulo in Angola. Lulo
is located within 150 km of Catoca, the
world’s fourth biggest kimberlite mine,
and on the same favourable trend.
L259 is shaping up as a large kimberlite
structure, with kimberlite material so far
discovered in pits more than 1 km apart.
Lucapa believes that it could be a primary
source of the large alluvial diamonds being
mined at Mining Block 8, which include rare
D-colour Type IIa gems and fancy colours.
The company also reports that pit-
ting has been successful in significantly
expanding the Mining Block 8 alluvial dia-
mond field.
Lucapa Chief Executive Stephen
Wetherall said the latest kimberlite and
alluvial mining developments represented
major new milestones for Lucapa and its
partners as the company sought to unlock
Lulo’s true diamond riches.
January 2016; production is expected to
reach the target rate of 500 tonnes per day
in May 2017.
At the Central Shaft, most of the equip-
ment that is required for the sinking phase
of the project has been acquired and
is either on-site or in transit to site. The
Scotch derrick that will be used in the early
stages of sinking down to 90 m has been
commissioned. The kibble winder that will
continue the sink from 90 m to 1 080 m
has been refurbished and is expected to
be commissioned in January 2016. Five
generator units have been acquired which
have a combined generating capacity of
2 MVA as a back-up power supply to the
kibble winder in the full sink phase, which
is expected to commence in January.
“We are pleased with the ongoing
implementation of the Revised Plan, which
is proceeding as scheduled,” comments
Steve Curtis, Caledonia’s CEO. “The com-
pletion of the Tramming Loop and sinking
of the No 6 winze earlier in the year were
significant steps towards progressively
increasing production from 2016 onwards
to achieve an annual rate of 80 000 ounces
of gold by 2021.”
Caledonia Mining makes good progress at Blanket
A concrete pour in progress at the Central Shaft site at Blanket (photo: Caledonia Mining).
which is approximately 3 km in length.
The Tramming Loop was completed
ahead of schedule in June 2015 and will
allow for an increase in development
which is expected to result in increased
production towards the end of 2015, as
reflected in the 2015 production guidance
of approximately 42 000 ounces of gold.
Sinking the No 6 winze was completed
in June and the shaft is currently being
equipped after which horizontal devel-
opment towards the two main resource
bodies will commence. The project
remains on target for first production in
Lucapa makes kimberlite find in Angola
“We now have a confirmed kimberlite
adjacent to the Mining Block 8 alluvial dia-
mond field where we are recovering both
large valuable diamonds and coarse kim-
berlite indicator minerals,” said Wetherall.
“This makes L259 a compelling target
as we close in on our major goal at Lulo,
which is to find the primary kimberlite
source or sources of the exceptional allu-
vial diamonds we are recovering on a daily
basis. The area we have recovered kimber-
lite material from in our ongoing pitting
programme also suggests this to be a sig-
nificantly sized kimberlite.
“We are also extremely excited that our
alluvial grade control pitting programmes
have been successful in significantly
expanding the extent of the Mining Block 8
alluvial diamond field, which continues to
produce large diamonds of exceptional
quality.
“This area will remain the priority focus
of our kimberlite exploration and alluvial
diamond mining operations at Lulo.”