Stellar Diamonds has completed the resource expansion drill programme at its Tongo Dyke-1 kimberlite project, in eastern Sierra Leone ahead of schedule.
The company said in a statement emailed to Rough&Polished that 11 core holes were drilled totaling 2,929 metres and all holes intersected the kimberlite dyke.
The deepest intersection of kimberlite was measured at 357.4 metres from surface and the dyke remained open at depth.
“Diamond analysis and resource modelling incorporating these results is underway and we are on track to deliver an updated resource statement in October,” said Stellar chief executive Karl Smithson.
The Tongo licence was recently renewed by the Ministry of Mines in Sierra Leone for three years.
This, Smithson said, gave Stellar the confidence to embark upon a pre-feasibility study to determine the likely run of mine grades, diamond size distribution, recoveries and mining dilution levels.
Meanwhile, Stellar said that it would continue engaging the government of Sierra Leone over the renewal of the Kono exploration licences.
Sierra Leone refused to renew the licences earlier in the year.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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