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Free State Project - Eight Kimberlites Discovered
Free State Project - Eight Kimberlites Discovered.
About this update from Botswana Minerals Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 3762U Botswana Diamonds PLC 24 October 2017 \n\n24th October 2017\n\n\n\nBotswana Diamonds PLC \n(\"Botswana Diamonds\" or the \"Company\")\n \nFree State Project - Eight Kimberlites Discovered \n \nThe board of Botswana Diamonds (AIM: BOD) is pleased to provide an update on the third Vutomi project in South Africa, the Free State Project. The Free State is the central province of South Africa, close to Kimberley.\n \nHighlights:\n· Eight Group 1 kimberlites re-discovered. These are the type of kimberlites found in Kimberley itself; and\n· Ground geophysical survey underway\n \nActive exploration has commenced on the Free State Project which consists of four Prospecting Rights covering 50,000 hectares of ground within a kimberlite cluster, which has the iconic diamond mines of Jagersfontein and Koffiefontein at its Eastern end and Kimberley and Finsch at its Western extreme. \n \nThe Free State Project area was identified by Vutomi 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. Using the identified anomalies as a base, research indicated that a number of other diamond mines existed in this area for some time prior to 1880 but that a significant economic recession at that time resulted in their permanent curtailment. Most records of these operations were destroyed in the course of the Anglo-Boer War in 1900. 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. \n \nMore detailed ground work has 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. \nThe results of these tests and observations confirm the existence of eight Group 1 kimberlites. Extensive historical working suggests that these kimberlites are diamondiferous. \n \nA detailed ground geophysical survey is currently taking place to assess the size of th...