DiamondCorp (LON:DCP, JSE:DMC) has recovered 2 macro-diamonds and 49 micro-diamonds from a drilling programme at the J-05 kimberlite in Botswana.
This makes J-05 the second diamondiferous kimberlite in the PL/71 licence area, and consequently the company said it has "sufficient encouragement" to start a mini-bulk sampling programme with large diameter drilling (LDD).
“We are very pleased that we now have two diamondiferous kimberlites in PL/71 for bulk testing in 2011,” chief executive Paul Loudon said.
“[We have] a pipeline of promising diamond exploration projects in Botswana in addition to our long-life Lace diamond mine development in South Africa.”
Loudon also highlighted that he was very excited at the number of diamonds recovered, although it is too early to make a meaningful potential diamond grade prediction.
The samples were taken from ‘volcaniclastic’ and ‘coherent’ kimberlite intersections in the initial five drill holes. They yielded 51 diamonds, comprising two macro-diamonds and 49 micro-diamonds.
Macro-diamonds are larger diamonds, greater than 0.5 mm in diameter.
“Encouragingly, the presence of two macro-diamonds suggests the possibility of a coarse stone size distribution,” the company said.
Subsequent drilling of three angled boreholes at J-05 has enhanced the company’s understanding of the project.
They have shown J-05 to be an elongated kimberlite that narrows to the east and widens to the west.
Based on drilling to date the kimberlite has an estimated surface area of approximately 1.5 hectares.
DiamondCorp is currently earning into a 77.5 percent stake in the license.
It is currently finalising its planning of the LDD programme. The cost of the programme will be covered by a fundraising in the first half of 2011.