31 July 2013
Botswana Diamonds plc ("Botswana Diamonds" or the "Company")
Brightstone Joint Venture Agreed on 13 Licences in the Gope Region of Botswana
The directors of Botswana Diamonds (AIM: BOD), announce an agreement between the Company and Siseko Minerals Pty Ltd over the 13 licence Brightstone block in the Gope area of Botswana, covering an area of 6,518 square kilometres ("Brightstone").
Under the terms of the agreement the Company becomes operator of the block and will earn into Brightstone by spending up to $940,000 over three years to earn 51 per cent. The budget for the first year is $140,000.
The Gope region is highly prospective. The Ghagoo mine owned by Gem Diamonds is being developed in the area while Petra Diamonds has made a discovery on block KX36. Botswana Diamonds personnel have analysed all available geochemical, geophysical and drilling log data on the Brightstone licences and have identified a series of targets. Detailed work on the targets willcommence within weeks. This involves ground work to identify the best location to drill the target followed by drilling.
Thabang Mvambi, Executive Director of Siseko Minerals, stated "We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Botswana Diamonds, and we are confident that our exploration efforts will yield positive results."
John Teeling, chairman of Botswana Diamonds, commented, "It is a good time to be in diamonds. In particular it is a very good time to be in the Botswana diamond industry. The emerging success of the new Karowe Mine, first discovered by the Botswana Diamond founders, is increasing interest in the country. Karowe is producing big, beautiful, valuable diamonds. The KX36 discovery in the Gope area and the development of the Ghagoo mine is further focusing attention on the Gope region within Botswana. We are farming into the Brightstone 13 licence block because we are confident that we will find previously unknown kimberlites. Work will begin in the coming weeks."
Enquiries:
Botswana Diamonds PLC |
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John Teeling, Chairman |
+353 1 833 2833 |
Robert Bouquet, Director |
+ 32 477 228851 |
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Westhouse Securities Limited |
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Richard Baty |
+44 (0)20 7601 6100 |
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Keith Bayley Rogers & Co. Limited |
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Niall Pearson |
+44 (0)20 3100 8139 |
Hugh Oram |
+44 (0)20 3100 8170 |
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African Alliance Botswana Securities |
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Kabelo Mohohlo |
+267 364 3954 |
Oratile Leburu |
+267 364 3977 |
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Blythe Weigh Communications |
+44 (0)20 7138 3204 |
Tim Blythe |
+44 (0) 7816 924626 |
Halimah Hussain |
+44 (0) 7725 978141 |
Eleanor Parry |
+44 (0) 07551 293620 |
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Pembroke Communications |
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David O'Siochain |
+353 1 649 6486 |