Exploration Begins in Orapa

Highlights

·        Sampling started on March 21^st on two licences in Orapa.  Mineralogists plan to arrive on site on March 28^th to analyse the samples;

·        Geophysics expected to begin March 28^th ;

·        Diamond drilling expected to commence on Kimberlite AK21 on PL 260 the first week of April, to be followed by reverse circulation wide diameter drilling; and

·        Verification drilling to run concurrently on PL 210.

The Directors of Botswana Diamonds (AIM: BOD) are pleased to announce the start of an active programme of exploration in Botswana, first on licences in the Orapa area then in the Gope area.

The exploration programme is being led by a team from Alrosa, our 50/50 joint venture partner, supported by an experienced BOD team.

Geologists have begun sampling on PLs 260 and 210.  PL 260 covers an area of 25 sq km between the Karowe and Orapa diamonds mines.  It contains 3 kimberlites AK21, AK22 and AK23, known to contain diamonds.  Alrosa and BOD have evaluated existing data and agreed that significant potential exists on the block.  A soil sampling geophysics, diamond drilling and reverse circulation wide diameter drill programme is ongoing and will continue on the block until the end of April.  The two/three wide diameter holes have a target depth of 300 metres.  A 90 tonne bulk sample will be analysed in a bulk sampling plant in Botswana.

A second team is deployed to PL 210 where two holes were drilled in 2015.  Targeted geophysics and soil sampling are designed to select drill sites for diamond drilling, which will commence in early April.  There are extensive Kimberlitic Indicator Minerals (KIMs) on PL 210 and we hope that the new drilling programme will identify the source.

On the completion of sampling and geophysics on PLs 210 and 260 the teams will move to the Gope Region.  Follow up work will be conducted on PLs 135, 136 and 137, where anomalies were confirmed in 2015.

Early stage fieldwork will also start shortly on the new Gope licences obtained in late 2015.

The programme is fully funded.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented "This is an important time for BOD.  The exploration programme on two licences in the Orapa area of Botswana has great potential.  The new licence, PL 260, already has known kimberlites containing diamonds.  We want to test the belief that the grade improves at depth so we are taking a bulk sample to get reliable results.  The follow up drilling on PL 210 will build on our 2015 drilling.  We have reviewed data which gives us confidence that there are good levels of kimberlitic indicator minerals (KIMs) and hope that this drilling programme will validate this.  Based on the angularity of the KIMs, we believe they have not travelled very far. 

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This release has been approved by Benjamin Mosigi, MSc (Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology), who is a member of the Geological Society of South Africa.

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Enquiries:

www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk