(IDEX Online News) – Botswana Diamonds plans to begin the first stage of its joint venture with Russia's Alrosa in January, with geologists from the Russian diamond monopoly starting fieldwork on the PL117 license area in Orapa, Botswana.

 

The objective of the initial fieldwork, Botswana Diamonds chairperson John Teeling said the aim was to find the optimal drill targets, with a drilling program due to take place in March and April. “There are high expectations for this work but it is grassroots exploration,” Teeling said.

 

Botswana Diamonds said in a statement that although PL117 contained the best targets, others will follow,.

 

“Alrosa believes that its exploration techniques can predict the location of diamondifereous kimberlites up to 100 meters below a cover of Kalahari sand and basalt. The first test of this will be in the first and second quarter of next year when the joint venture will explore PL117, [located] close to the new Karowe mine, which is producing spectacular diamonds,” Teeling said.

 

"Few, outside of the mining industry, understand the difficulties of 'seeing' into the ground.  Most new discoveries are made from surface indicators or by exploring where there is or was a mine.  But, once the surface is explored you have to go deeper.  There are no magic bullets.  Despite the best efforts of the world's leading mining companies the only lie detector is a drill hole.

 

"Alrosa working in Siberia, with no access to Western technology, developed new techniques and adapted existing methods to handle the tundra which has an overburden up to 200 meters thick before they hit rock.  Over decades Alrosa has refined these techniques and has had remarkable success…"

 

"The directors of Alrosa believe that their techniques can work in Botswana, the home of diamonds and the world's biggest producer by value.  Most of Botswana is covered by the Kalahari desert.  For 18 months Alrosa and Botswana Diamonds have gathered and analyzed as much data as possible on Botswana geology in the Orapa region - the logical place to start where four of the world's great diamond mines exist.

 

"Twelve targets have come from this analysis.  We have applied for ground covering these targets.  The process is slow and opaque.  Some of the ground was already under licence so we have had to adapt.

 

"While Alrosa is focused on the Orapa region they ran an analysis of the Gope area of Botswana.  This is in the Kalahari Game Reserve so environmental considerations are paramount.  The area is highly prospective.  The Ghagoo mine is expected to come on stream in late 2014 while a significant discovery has been made on KX36 in the East of the area. Our geologists, with the assistance of Alrosa, have identified a series of targets which, finance permitting, we will explore in 2014.

 

"Our exploration ambitions are limited by our finances.  The retail market for fresh equity in AIM listed explorers is virtually non-existent. We will have the funds to operate the Alrosa joint venture which has a 2014 budget of £600,000 ($1 million) on a 50/50 basis.  Our second priority is to fund the Gope area exploration.  Diamonds have wonderful demand fundamentals.  They are very scarce and hard to find.  The best way to find them is to use the best technology, best and experienced people on the most prospective ground.  This we are doing."