AIM-listed Botswana Diamonds (LON:BOD) has begun a 60-90 day exploration programme in a remote rainforest area of Cameroon.
The programme is on the company's 8.000 square km diamond licence south of the Mobilong diamond field.
The aim is to identify the presence and extent of the diamond bearing host rock that defines Mobilong and the work will include geological mapping and excavation.
Chairman John Teeling said it was an " early stage big potential high risk project" and that almost nothing was known about it due to its rainforest location.
"Our ground abuts the Mobilong diamond discovery to the south and west.
"Initial prospecting will be in these areas to see if and where the potentially diamondiferous conglomerate lies.
"Our team of experienced Cameroonian geologists are used to the difficult rainforest conditions and will focus their efforts and expertise to rapidly evaluate the area of highest interest," he added.
The company said that from limited information available, it appeared that the diamonds were hosted in a palaeo-conglomerate, from which they have since been eroded in places, and now also occur sporadically in modern alluvial deposits.
If the programme is successful, a limited drilling and trenching/pitting exercise will be started to further define the scope and extent of potentially diamondiferous rock sequences, said Botswana Diamonds in today's statement.