The board of Botswana Diamonds has released an update on the Vutomi Joint Venture in South Africa, indicating that a grade of 78 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht) modelled on Frischgewaagt in a range 64 to 110 cpht. It added that a drilling programme to test three identified anomalies would commence by the end of July.

The Company stated that the release of the refined estimate for the grade at the FGT joint venture (at a bottom cut off of +1 mm) follows the inclusion of the results of the bulk sample and an update to the estimation analysis technique.  It said that initial results of a geophysics programme are being evaluated. These appear to indicate that the dyke system now covers 7.5km, up from 6km and said that 3 anomalies have been defined, which could be "blows" on the dyke.  A "blow" is where the dyke swells and may become a small pipe.

The drilling programme will begin in late July and will focus on testing the anomalies with the intention of having an initial inferred resource by the end of the year.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented, "An estimated midpoint grade of 78 cpht at Frischgewaagt is very good news.  The former Marsfontein mine is close by on the same dyke system had better grades and this was a blow.  Even better news is the identification of potential "blows" on the dyke.  We will focus our upcoming drilling on these anomalies."

Botswana Diamonds said that Vutomi has a 28% BEE partner and has all necessary permits for ongoing work, so is well placed to comply with the new mining charter.