The company recently signed a 6,000m core drilling contract with E-Global Drilling, with an option to extend the meterage if necessary.
This first phase of drilling will be focussed on the 2.5km strike length of Tongo Dyke 1 in order to establish lateral and depth continuity of the kimberlite ore body at every 100m along strike.
Holes are being planned to intersect the kimberlite at depths of 50m, 100m and 200m from surface, with some holes targeting intersections at 300m vertical depth.
In addition, the 1km long Tongo Dyke 4, located 1km to the north of Dyke 1, will also be drilled as part of the program.
Previous mini-bulk sampling of Dyke 4 undertaken by Stellar returned grades of 100 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht), the company said.
CAE Mining is overseeing the resource drilling and bulk sampling programs as part of its mandate to independently establish a maiden inferred resource estimate for the Tongo project.
Stellar Diamonds chief executive Karl Smithson said with the recent appointment of CAE Mining and the commencement of drilling, Stellar remains on track to establish its maiden resource at the Tongo Dyke project in the first quarter of 2012.
"The bulk sampling grades continue to prove encouraging, with the kimberlite yielding an average grade to date of 115cpht," Smithson said.
