Botswana Diamonds plc has announced that it ‘re-discovered’ eight Group 1 kimberlites at its third Vutomi project, the Free State Project, in South Africa. These had perhaps been discovered in the late 1800s, but had never been mined due a significant economic recession at that time and subsequent destruction of records in the course of the Anglo-Boer War in 1900.

The Company’s Board said that these are the type of kimberlites found in the Kimberley mine also and were confirmed using innovative means, involving identification of anomalies using satellite imagery, and from evidence gathered from record archives in Kimberley and Bloemfontein along with ground work follow up. 

The latter involved further field observations and the collection of samples from the relevant sites which have been subject to whole rock geochemistry tests by the Council for Geosciences.

The results confirmed the existence of the kimberlites, with extensive historical working suggesting that these kimberlites are diamondiferous, Botswana Diamonds said.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that very little, if any, modern exploration technology has been applied to this highly prospective area and this is supported by the landowners, whose families have been in occupation of the properties for a number of generations, the Company added.

A detailed ground geophysical survey is currently taking place to assess the size of these kimberlites and the results will be announced next month.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented, "The best place to find a mine is where there is or was a mine. The Free State area was the centre of world diamond mining over 100 years ago but has been neglected. New technology and new ideas offers opportunities. This approach is paying off for BOD with the re-discovery of 8 kimberlites. Now we have to see what opportunities exist for BOD."