Botswana Diamonds Flags Off Reconnaissance in Cameroon

• Reconnaissance exploration programme set off on Cameroon diamond exploration licence to the south of C&K’s Mobilong diamond license
• Programme comprises of geological mapping, geochem sampling, excavation of observation pits and the collection of rock samples for detailed study and review
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• The aim is to find out the presence of and reachability of the diamond bearing host rock

The board of Botswana Diamonds (AIM: BOD) announced that it was happy to make a formal announcement of the flagging off of a 60-90 day exploration work programme in its diamond reconnaissance license to the south of the Mobilong diamond field in Cameroon.

The objective of the reconnaissance survey is to identify the existence and extent of the diamond bearing host rock that defines the Mobilong diamond field.

The reconnaissance survey will span across an area of 8000 square kms of diamond license located along the southern side of the Mobilong license and the program will essentially involve geological mapping and excavation.

From the basic data obtained, it looks as if the diamonds are located in a palaeo-conglomerate, from which they have since been eroded in certain locations, and now also intermittently in modern alluvial deposits.

The programme will include comprehensive geological mapping, employing traverses and cut-lines on a regular grid, in tandem with excavation of observation pits and the accumulating geochemical and rock samples for further tests.

Cameroon Diamond Mining Industry

If the results are found to be promising, a controlled drilling and trenching/pitting program will be deployed to further define the reach and extent of potentially diamondiferous rock sequences.

The region where the reconnaissance in conducted in a distant location of Cameroon and the approach is mostly through roads that have been built by timber companies. The dense tropical rainforest also brings about problems in logistics and will put a tab on the level to which remote sensing techniques can be deployed to monitor the exploration.

John Teeling, the Chairman of Botswana Diamonds commented:

“This is an early stage big potential high risk project. The license area is 8,000 square kilometres but almost nothing is known about it due to its rainforest location. Our ground abuts the Mobilong diamond discovery to the south and west. Initial prospecting will be in these areas to see if and where the potentially diamondiferous conglomerate lies.

Our teams of experienced Cameroonian geologists are used to the difficult rainforest conditions and will focus their efforts and expertise to rapidly evaluate the area of highest interest.”