Botswana Diamonds Receives Three New Exploration Licenses

(IDEX Online News) – The government of Botswana has awarded three prospecting licenses (PL135/2015, PL136/2015 and PL137/2015) to Sunland Minerals, the exploration joint venture company owned equally between Botswana Diamonds and Alrosa.

The license areas cover 46 sq. km, 48 sq. km and 3.3 sq. km respectively and are located in the central area of the country.

The company said PL135/2015 and PL136/2015 were selected to verify previously identified geophysical anomalies (both magnetic and gravity) while PL137/2015 contains mineralogical anomalies with kimberlite indicator minerals, including pyropes, ilmenites and in particular chrome diopsides. 

Chrome diopsides (garnets) are relatively soft and do not travel far from the kimberlite source and it is, therefore, considered worthwhile to conduct follow-up exploration of these indicators on this small license area.

Botswana Diamonds said geologists will focus on the target areas using small grids to carry out detailed geophysics and to acquire mineral chemistry data with the aim of making rapid decisions regarding potential drilling.