Botswana Diamonds has announced that an intensive 12 week exploration programme at its licenced sites in the Orapa and Gope areas of Botswana will soon commence under the auspices of its 50/50 joint venture with Alrosa, with initial results of this and related sampling programmes expected by the year end.

A statement released by Botswana Diamonds said that the programme would include drilling of four core holes in Gope on PL 135, two core holes on kimberlite AK22 on PL 260 and two core holes on PL 085, both in Orapa.

The programme will be carried out by an Alrosa team of seven specialists who will be joined by geologists and support crew from Botswana Diamonds.

The statement also said that final results from the analysis of the 80 tons of material recovered from the two Large Diameter Drillholes (LDD) on kimberlite AK21 on licence PL 260 in Orapa are stilll awaited.  Earlier delays in finding a company in South Africa capable of concluding the work were compounded by an inconclusive result, it added.

The concentrate will now be sent back to Botswana for evaluation by Alrosa specialists. 

John Teeling, Chairman, commented, "The Alrosa/Botswana Diamonds Joint Venture will shortly begin an intensive twelve week exploration programme on pinpointed sites we believe may contain new diamondiferous kimberlites.”

He added that the Company will also run electromagnetic and Transient Electro Magnetic (TEM) studies and soil sampling programmes across six licences and that the activity has been funded at least till year end when all initial results are expected.