AI programme started on our Botswana database

16 August 2024

Botswana Diamonds PLC

("Botswana Diamonds" or the "Company")

Artificial Intelligence programme started on our Botswana database

Botswana Diamonds plc, (AIM: BOD) the London AIM and Botswana Stock Exchange listed diamond company, is pleased to announce that it is has started a programme of Artificial Intelligence ("AI") techniques on our Botswana database. Initial exploration results will be available within the next four to six weeks.

The company has the second largest diamond exploration database in Botswana. This is an excellent foundation to incorporate AI to assist in a comprehensive search for new diamond deposits and potentially other minerals.

The Company's database consists of:

·    c.95,000 sq km of data.

·    c.375,000 km airborne geophysical data.

·    606 ground geophysical surveys.

·    c.228,000 soil sample results.

·    c.32,000 drill hole logs.

In total 380 gigabytes of data and 260,000 files.

The company will utilise Planetary AI Ltd Xplore mineral prospectivity technology which was developed in collaboration with International Geoscience Services Limited. 

Xplore is a system that uses a unique combination of semantic technology with machine learning.  Semantic technology is a branch of artificial intelligence focused on understanding and representing the meaning of data, information, and knowledge in a machine-readable format. It enables computers to comprehend, interpret, and reason with data in a manner similar to human understanding, enhancing the effectiveness of information retrieval, integration, and analysis. This allows computers to "understand" the meaning and context of geological data in much the same way a geologist would, in order to identify zones of prospective mineralisation based on specific mineral deposit models.

The system acts much like a geologist but can function quicker and more efficiently.  Vast data-sets are processed though AI that finds logical gaps in the data and learns to correct them. This exercise is expected to yield fresh insights that will offer drillable targets previously unseen.

Chairman, John Teeling, commented: "Our mineral database in Botswana is simply vast. Too big for timely analysis by humans. Think of it, over 375,000 kms of geophysical data, and 32,000 drill holes logs.

Massive databases are suited to analysis by computer-based large Data Models and Artificial Intelligence techniques which can analyse substantial amounts of data in a short time. We feed in the data and create the models from our existing knowledge both theoretical and factual. The techniques then produce results. Where it finds inconsistencies or gaps it adapts. It is early stages in both our work and the use of the technique in mineral exploration, but the future potential is huge.

An added exciting bonus for BOD and for Botswana is that the technique will analyse a number of different minerals. We have always believed that there are more diamond deposits to be found under the sand. Now there is the possibility of other deposits being identified".

This release has been approved by James Campbell, Managing Director of Botswana Diamonds plc, a qualified geologist (Pr.Sci.Nat), a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa, a Fellow of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Metals and Mining (UK) and with over 38-years' experience in the diamond sector.

A copy of this announcement is available on the Company's website, at www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk

Enquiries:

www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk

ENDS