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RAPAPORT... Botswana Diamonds signed an agreement with Siseko Minerals Pty. Ltd. to operate the 13 license Brightstone block in the Gope area of Botswana, covering an area of 6,518 square kilometers. Under the terms of the agreement, Botswana Diamonds will earn 51 percent into Brightstone by spending up to $940,000 over three years. The budget for the first year is $140,000. Botswana Diamonds considers the Gope region to be highly prospective for diamonds. 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 analyzed all available geochemical, geophysical and drilling log data on the Brightstone licenses and they have identified a series of targets. Detailed work on the targets involves ground work to identify the best location to drill. Thabang Mvambi, the executive director of Siseko Minerals, said, “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, the chairman of Botswana Diamonds, said, “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 license block because we are confident that we will find previously unknown kimberlites. Work will begin in the coming weeks.”
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