Modern Mining July 2017

DIAMONDS

comprising 34 percussion and nine diamond drill holes, in the process discovering two blows on the kimberlite dyke system. It fol- lowed up in June with an announcement that 223 microdiamonds had been recovered from 160 kg of drill core from the drill programme, indicating an estimated grade range of between 20 and 270 cpht (since updated to a medium grade of 78 cpht in a range of 64 to 110 cpht at a bottom cut-off of +1 mm). The MSA Group in Johannesburg undertook the microdiamonds analyses and the modelling was undertaken by Dr JJ Ferreira, an expert in micro diamond assessment with an international reputation. Comments Campbell: “These results are excellent although we need more drill samples so that we can refine the grade estimate. We’ve also virtually completed a very detailed ground geophysics programme which is intended to delineate the further lateral extension of the system and which will underpin a second phase of drilling starting shortly. Our goal is to produce an inferred resource by the end of the year.” Although Frischgewaagt is currently receiv- ing the bulk of BOD’s attention, the other projects within the Vutomi package are highly prospective and take in ground in the vicinity of current or past producing mines, includ- ing the Cullinan diamond mine near Tshwane in Gauteng and the Helam fissure mine near Swartruggens in North West Province. In the Free State, Vutomi has six contiguous prospecting areas. Mines in the area include Koffiefontein and Jagersfontein in the Free State and the Kimberley mine in the Northern Cape. As befits a junior explorer, BOD is a very lean operation, with Campbell being the only full- time employee. As he says, “The appetite for grassroots exploration is currently very low so it is not easy to raise money and what is raised has to be used very effectively – certainly one cannot have the luxury of a large staff comple- ment. Our strategy is to raise money for six to eight months, demonstrate delivery on that and then go back to the market for further funding

to take us forward again. While I’m the only person working full-time for BOD, this does not have any downside. We have a huge network of consultants and contractors who assist us and who, in most cases, rank among the leaders in their respective fields.” Among the experts that Campbell mentions are Bjorn Havemann, who at one stage was Head of Geophysics at De Beers, Dr Kurt Petersen, a word-renowned diamond metallurgist, and Dr Gargi Mishra, who has a stellar reputation in the field of kimberlite petrography. Summing up, Campbell notes that apart from AK6 in Botswana and Luaxe in Angola, there have been no significant kimberlite dis- coveries over the past 15 or so years in Africa or, for that matter, worldwide. “We’re hoping to reverse that. Obviously, diamond explora- tion is inherently an uncertain business and no diamond explorer can ever guarantee suc- cess. Having said that, Botswana Diamonds has the right people, the right ground and the right technology to find a mine – if indeed there is a mine to be found. We’re very excited by the company’s potential and have high hopes that it will, in time, deliver one or more kimberlite projects that can be developed into viable com- mercial mining operations.” Photos courtesy of Botswana Diamonds

The Marsfontein pipe or blow as it looks today. It was mined between 1998 and 2000.

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