Image credit: Botswana Diamonds
"This is our first three-dimensional model of the kimberlite on Thorny River and thus represents an important step in the commercialisation of the project," said company chairperson John Teeling.
"The discovery of a second anomaly to the east of pipe following this detailed analytical work could be an extension of the pipe and will be drilled in the New Year."
A high-resolution ground gravity survey conducted during October 2020 detected an enlarged anomaly along the known kimberlite fissure.
This anomaly, it said, was subsequently followed up by reverse circulation (RC) drilling and confirmed as a kimberlite pipe.
Data from the RC holes were reconciled with the ground gravity data to construct a three-dimensional model of the kimberlite pipe.
"The best fit model showed an East-West trending body gently dipping to the east with a surface expression of 80 x 40m," said Botswana Diamonds.
"This work is significant in providing a maiden three-dimensional model for the kimberlite within the Thorny River project which will enable precision planning of further drill holes and calculation of volumes."
Botswana Diamonds said the next step comprises drilling core holes to further confine the geological boundaries and microdiamond sampling to determine a first pass diamond grade estimate of the body.
Petrographic studies will be used to confirm the kimberlite types.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
