REG - Botswana Diamonds - Drilling commences on Thorny River

Botswana DiamondsAnnouncement

01/09/2021 07:06

RNS Number : 2782K
  
Botswana Diamonds PLC
  
01 September 2021
  
 

1st September 2021




Botswana Diamonds PLC
("Botswana Diamonds" or the "Company")
 
Drilling commences on Thorny River
Eight-hole drilling programme between the two recently discovered blows 
 
Botswana Diamonds ('BOD'), the AIM and BSE listed diamond explorer, is pleased to announce that drilling has commenced on its Thorny River project in South Africa.
 
A total of eight reverse circulation drill holes are planned to drill in-between the recently discovered River and River Extension blows.  The drilling programme is expected to take no more than two weeks.
 
The River Blow was discovered by the company in November 2020 and covered a modelled surface area of 80x40m.  The River Extension blow which is less than 100m east of the River Blow was discovered by the company in April 2021.  Select drill samples from both drilling campaigns were treated at an independent laboratory where abundant kimberlitic indicators were recovered along with eleven diamonds.
 
For context, the discoveries at Thorny River are within the Zebediela kimberlite field.  This field chiefly consists of a series of consistently diamondiferous kimberlite dykes with a strike length of 20-km.  On this dyke, there are number of blows being Kudu, Sugarbird, Sugarbird Pass (all part of the Klipspringer diamond mine) and Marsfontein.  The four blows have been mined-out, with the latter being mined by a De Beers / SouthernEra joint venture with a payback of three and a half days.  Marsfontein is 3.5 km west and on strike from the Company's discoveries. 
 
The objective of the exploration programme in the Thorny River project area is to discover additional blows and the objective of this specific drilling programme is to determine the extent of the connection between the two recently discovered blows.
 
John Teeling, Chairman, commented, "This is an important step in our drive to establish a commercial diamond orebody at Thorny River. We are very hopeful that these eight holes will confirm that the two blows, River and River extension are in fact one orebody".
 
 
 
This release has been approved by James Campbell, Managing Director of Botswana Diamonds plc, a qualified geologist (Pr.Sci.Nat), a Member of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Metals and Mining (UK) and with over 35-years' experience in the diamond sector.
 
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK Domestic Law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
 
The person who arranged the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was James Campbell.
 
A copy of this announcement is available on the Company's website, at www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk
Enquiries:



Botswana Diamonds PLC 

John Teeling, Chairman
James Campbell, Managing Director 
Jim Finn, Director 


 
+353 1 833 2833
+27 83 457 3724
+353 1 833 2833




Beaumont Cornish - Nominated Adviser 

Michael Cornish 
Roland Cornish




+44 (0) 020 7628 3396




Beaumont Cornish Limited - Broker 

Roland Cornish
Felicity Geidt 


+44 (0) 207 628 3396 




First Equity Limited -  Joint Broker 

Jason Robertson
 


+44 (0) 207 374 2212




Blytheweigh - PR

Megan Ray

Rachael Brooks
Said Izagaren
Naomi Holmes


+44 (0) 207 138 3206
+44 (0) 207 138 3553 
+44 (0) 207 138 3206
+44 (0) 207 138 3206
+44 (0) 207 138 3206




Teneo 
Luke Hogg
Alan Tyrrell
Ross Murphy


 
+353 (0) 1 661 4055
+353 (0) 1 661 4055
+353 (0) 1 661 4055



 
www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk
 
 
ENDS
 

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