Last prospected in 1986, Mooikloof is a known 2.5 hectare diamondiferous kimberlite pipe.
Botswana Diamonds chairman John Teeling said: “Significant progress has been made on our joint venture projects in South Africa.
“We are pleased to finally be awarded the Mooikloof concession. This was discovered and explored in the 1980s by De Beers who went on to develop the Oaks mine next door. The pipe is historically estimated at 2.5 hectares in size and contains diamonds. Using recently developed exploration techniques we will re-assess this high potential pipe.”
The company plans to deploy advanced exploration techniques to reassess the Mooikloof kimberlite. It could also open another by-passed kimberlite pipe development.
Botswana Diamonds said: “Based on our experience elsewhere, we suspect that past explorers may have systematically under-estimated the kimberlite pipe size, grade and diamond quality of the Mooikloof kimberlite.”
De Beers owns and operates the Oaks mine, which is located adjacent to the Mooikloof kimberlite pipe concession.
The Oaks had a grade of 53 carats per hundred tonne of ore (cpht) at a value of $156 per carat.
Botswana Diamonds said: “The large flagship Venetia mine, operated by De Beers, is close by and in the same general geology.”
The firm has also received the technical economic evaluation report (TEE Report) on the Thorny River Project.
The deposit at the mine is between 1.2 and 2 million tons, with the grade between 46 and 74 cpht.
Teeling said: “Analysis shows that a mine on the Thorny River deposit could be profitable assuming positive results from additional exploration. Now we must refine the volume, grade and value estimates while working on the mining model.”
According to the company, the TEE Report has provided enough information on the need to further investigate the Thorny River Project.
