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According to South African media, the company’s chairperson, Mr John Teeling, said the company would target a hard rock kimberlite similar to that of Rio Tinto’s Murowa mine.
“In Zimbabwe, we are preparing to sample claims in the southeast. The target is a hard rock kimberlite similar to the Murowa mine of Rio Tinto.
“We maintain a watching brief on the Marange area where we have a current application.”
Botswana Diamonds is a diamond exploration and project development company that holds exploration licences in Botswana and Cameroon as well as early-stage diamond licence applications in certain areas of Zimbabwe.
South African diamond company De Beers initially held an Exclusive Prospecting Order over the Marange area through their subsidiary Kimberlitic Searches Ltd.
However, their EPO expired in 2006 and exploration rights were taken up by African Consolidated Resources, but are now under the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.
The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has since approved the unconditional export of diamonds from the Marange fields despite opposition from the United States, Canada and the European Union.
The Marange diamond fields in Chiadzwa fields are regarded as the world’s biggest diamond find in over a century.
According to statistics from Treasury, Zimbabwe’s total proceeds from diamond sales last year amounted to US$313,5 million.
Online Reporter