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MODERN MINING
September 2015
MINING News
Mark Scowcroft joins Tsodilo Resources board
Tsodilo Resources, an exploration company
focused on Botswana and listed on the
TSX‑V, has announced the appointment of
Mark Scowcroft to its board of directors as
a non-executive director.
Scowcroft has 26 years’ experience in
managing and investing in diamond explo-
ration projects in Botswana. He began
his career in 1989 as a geologist with De
Beers Prospecting Botswana, after gradu-
ating in 1988 from the Royal School of
Mines, Imperial College, London with a BSc
(Honours) degree in Mining Geology.
In 1995, Scowcroft left De Beers topursue
a career as an independent diamond explo-
ration consultant. As a consulting geologist
to the Auridium JV in the late 1990s, he
was the first geologist to highlight the
economic potential of kimberlite BK16 in
reports to the Botswana government. Soon
thereafter, in collaboration with fellow dia-
mond geologist, Dr Leon Daniels, Scowcroft
spearheaded efforts to re-evaluate the
geology and economic potential of known
kimberlites in the Orapa Kimberlite Field.
He was an early proponent of Botswana’s
now common practice of offering junior
exploration companies the opportunity to
re-explore kimberlites which had in earlier
exploration been thought to have insuffi-
cient economic potential.
In 2002, Scowcroft co-founded African
Diamonds, in which he was the largest
shareholder and executive director respon-
sible for Botswana operations.
Scowcroft was a founding director of
Boteti Mining, a joint venture between
African Diamonds and De Beers, and per-
sonally negotiated the inclusion in the joint
venture by De Beers of a number of kim-
berlites, including kimberlite AK6, which
has since been developed into the Karowe
diamond mine.
“I am delighted to have been invited
onto the board of Tsodilo Resources and
to assist with the further development of
BK16, a kimberlite I know well and which
I believe is the most prospective of the
known, un-evaluated, diamondiferous kim-
berlites in Botswana,”Scowcroft comments.
“I firmly believe that BK16 has the potential
to become the next hard-rock diamond
mine in Botswana.”
Australian explorer MOD Resources, listed
on the ASX, reports it is finalising a pro-
posed transaction to acquire a number
of prospecting licences in the immediate
area of MOD’s 100 %-owned Mahumo high
grade copper/silver project in the Kalahari
Copperbelt of Botswana. The acquisition
is considered an important part of future
MOD to acquire more ground around Mahumo
growth plans for the Mahumo area and
covers any possible extensions to the
deposit.
MOD’s offer includes a commitment
to support initiatives of the Botswana
government including training and local
employment in the Ghanzi region in the
event a mine is established at Mahumo.
Inspecting core at the Mahumo project. A Stage One mineral resource estimate for Mahumo of 2,7 Mt at 2,0 %
copper and 50 g/t silver was announced in March this year (photo: MOD Resources).
A Stage One mineral resource estimate
for Mahumo of 2,7 Mt at 2,0 % copper and
50 g/t silver was announced in March this
year. It is based on drilling completed by
MOD in 2011/2012 and 2014/2015 along a
2,4 km strike length at Mahumo to an aver-
age depth of approximately 300 m.
The Mahumo resource has a copper
equivalent grade of approximately 2,5 %,
which MOD believes is the highest grade
for an announced copper/silver resource in
Botswana. The silver grade of 50 g/t is par-
ticularly impressive and is three times the
silver grade of other announced resources
for the Kalahari Copperbelt.
A scoping level ‘base case’ model
based on the Stage One mineral resource
indicates potential for an initial 4-5 year
underground mine life assuming toll
treatment of ore. A separate, conceptual
‘expanded target case’ model has been
prepared assuming significant high grade
copper/silver mineralisation extends
below the Stage One Resource. This con-
ceptual model is based on a potential
doubling of mine life with a 500 000 t/a
processing plant constructed on site.
The proposed Stage Two resource drill-
ing programme is intended to test the
potential for significant extensions below
current drilling and will proceed as soon as
possible, subject to availability of funding.
The Stage One scoping study is nearing
completion and if positive will form the
basis for pre-feasibility and definitive fea-
sibility studies at Mahumo.