Dual-listed Botswana Diamonds has started drilling at its Thorny River and Marsfontein project areas in South Africa.
The multihole drilling programme has begun on four target areas identified as being of high interest in a recent detailed ground geophysics survey.
These target areas include a potential kimberlite blow of up to 0.25 ha in extent, and other expansions in the widths (or swells) of the dyke system of up to 10 m (as opposed to the average 1 m).
The most widely known blow in the project area is Marsfontein, which was 0.4 ha.
Marsfontein was previously mined by De Beers and SouthernEra and it achieved a return on development capital in under four days.
The dyke system, which extends for 18 km over Thorny River from Klipspringer mine in the west through Marsfontein to Doornrivier in the east, has been demonstrated as having consistent geology and economics.
The ground geophysics and drilling programmes are focused on identifying kimberlite volumes to support further development of the property.