(IDEX Online News) – Pangolin Diamonds Corp. says it has discovered one of the largest kimberlites in the world, modeled at 270 hectares (2.7 sq km), at its fully-owned Tsabong North Project in Botswana.

 

The new discovery stems from Pangolin’s discovery earlier this year of two kimberlites, Magi-01 and Magi-02, at the project.

 

Based on these observations, Pangolin drilled a new hole between the Magi-01 and Magi-02 kimberlites. The new hole positively intersected the same sandy tuffs recognized in the two previous drill holes, confirming that the Magi-Kimberlite is a single large body and not two smaller kimberlites as previously believed.

 

Further work will begin shortly; seven additional holes have been laid out for core drilling to determine the final size of the Magi-Kimberlite. These core holes will also be used towards modeling the complex geology of the crater sediments and kimberlitic sandy tuffs in preparation for future possible larger diameter drilling. Each hole will intersect at least 100 metres of kimberlite to recover any additional indicator minerals, and any diamonds. One hole will be drilled to a minimum depth of 250 metres of kimberlite intersection.

 

Detailed logging of the core indicates that the Magi-Kimberlite is of syn-Karoo age. This makes it older than the Cretaceous diamondiferous kimberlites of the Tsabong kimberlite field further to the south, dated at 78 million years, but potentially similar in age to the Jwaneng kimberlites, dated at 245 million years, the firm said.

 

Core samples from all the holes are being submitted to independent laboratories to recover any additional indicator minerals, and any diamonds.

 

Pangolin Chairman Dr Leon Daniels said: “The geophysical models available to Pangolin strongly suggest the potential for discovering additional very large kimberlites in the Tsabong North Project area.”

 

Pangolin Diamonds Corp. owns nine prospecting licenses encompassing the Tsabong North, Jwaneng South, Malatswae and Mmadinare Projects.