Botswana Diamonds and Alrosa to Start Work on Botswana License

Botswana Diamonds Chairman John Teeling.

(IDEX Online News) – Botswana Diamonds reports that work has started on license PL117 in the Orapa area, with the Company’s geologists having completed the advance work and procured the necessary equipment.

Geologists from its joint venture partner, Alrosa, will join them, in the Orapa region, in the coming weeks. The license area covers just 2.9 sq km, and is close to the Karowe diamond mine.

Botswana Diamonds and Alrosa identified license PL 117 as a key target. The Botswana Diamonds team previously discovered a diamondiferous kimberlite (AK10) on the same license in 2004.

The initial Alrosa/Botswana Diamonds joint exploration project will focus on a work program at the PL117 license area. The joint venture team will carry out further soil sampling, geophysical and geochemical work to define exact drill targets, with drilling expected to commence before the end of quarter one this year.

John Teeling, Chairman of Botswana Diamonds, said: “I am very pleased to be able to announce that the work on the highly prospective PL117 target has commenced, and look forward to the Alrosa geologists joining the Botswana team shortly. We are very hopeful that we will be able to improve on what was found previously. Indications are good and it is the top target identified by Alrosa.

“Alrosa is the world leader in diamond exploration and mining today. It is a vast company providing 26 percent of global diamond output and producing around 36 million carats of diamonds per year. We have the money, the right partner and good ground.”