EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT

BOD runs into sampling problems at Thorny River

Diamond explorer in need of a few more stones

Staff reporter
A thorny issue: Botswana Diamonds will be hoping for better results next time

A thorny issue: Botswana Diamonds will be hoping for better results next time

Botswana has a trenching programme running at the Thorny River project in South Africa, and a 300-tonne sample from late 2017 was not as promising as expected, the company said.

Over 500 diamonds for a total of 62 carats were recovered from the sample, with a pricing estimate of US$89 per carat.

The company said there weren't enough diamonds in the sample to produce a "modelled diamond valuation" so it will stick with a value of $259/ct.

Botswana chairman John Teeling said the volume was not an issue.

"We have made rapid progress at Thorny River with the generation of volume and grade estimates following intensive exploration field work," he said.

"We recovered insufficient diamonds, particularly the bigger sizes, to produce a valuation which could be used in economic modelling. This will be addressed."

Botswana's shares were down around 10% on the news. 

 

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Journal Intelligence team.

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Global Leadership Report 2024: Net Zero

Gain insights into decarbonisation trends and strategies from interviews with 20+ top mining executives and experts plus an industrywide survey.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Project Pipeline Handbook 2024

View our 50 top mining projects, handpicked using a unique, objective selection process from a database of 450+ global assets.

editions

Mining Journal Intelligence Investor Sentiment Report 2024

Survey revealing the plans, priorities, and preferences of 120+ mining investors and their expectations for the sector in 2024.