Botswana Diamond has started carrying out small bulk sampling on diamond claims in Masvingo, Zimbabwe to determine if there are any kimberlites.
“Rio Tinto discovered diamond indicator minerals and kimberlites on the claims,” BoD said in a trading update seen by Rough & Polished.
“The purpose of the work on the claims which are 49 percent owned by BoD and 51 percent local Zimbabwean ownership, is to confirm the presence of kimberlites and to determine if they are diamondiferous.”
BoD said it would mobilise exploration projects at the Chimanimani and Marange sites, also in Zimbabwe as soon as mining licences were obtained.
Meanwhile, BoD said that it had commenced sampling on its Mobilong licence in Cameroon, while data gathering preparation and analysis continued on its 50/50 joint venture in Botswana with initial results expected in the last half of 2012.
BoD, which also have an interest in exploration licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo planned to have a pipeline of projects in Southern and Central Africa.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
