Good diamond results in Kgalagadi district
Zolani Kraai | Friday January 10, 2014 15:41
According to a Firestone Diamonds exploration analysis, its work in Tsabong has been primarily focused on 14 high interest kimberlites. The kimberlites were selected on the basis of diamond content, Kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) chemistry and size. These analyses come handy after the Department of Mines though denied contracting any company to prospect diamonds in Tsabong of late.
Firestone Diamonds, goes back more than 20 years of experience in exploring diamonds in Botswana mainly at Tsabong, Orapa, Kokong to mention a few places.
Mmegi has learnt that before Paragon Diamonds Limited surfaced on the list of new diamond prospectors end of last year, Firestone and Falconbridge were major players in the region.
So far, it has been stated in the Firestone Diamonds website that exploration for diamonds by the company targets approximately 80 well-defined geophysical anomalities. They have been identified by interpretation of aeromagnetic survey data over the area.
Mmegi also learnt that the company expects the total number of kimberlites in the Tsabong area to reach more than 100, once exploration is complete.
The statement further stated rough diamond prices are estimated to have tripled since the Tsabong field was discovered in the early 1980s, but the threshold for economic viability is modest.
Firestone Diamonds also stated that a kimberlite in Tsabong with a grade of 20 caret per ht and average quality diamonds of US$100 (P873,90) per carat could support a large-scale, profitable mining operation.
Firestone Diamonds owns 100 percent interest in the Tsabong project.
In other places of interest on exploration, Firestone Diamonds controls prospecting licences over an area of approximately 10,000km2 in the Orapa region.
These licences contain eight known kimberlites, of which four have been proven to diamondiferous.
In the Kokong region, approximately 200km west of the Jwaneng mine, Firestone Diamonds project extends over an area of approximately 1,000km2. Firestones has 100 percent equity in the Kokong project.
Firestone Diamonds stated that it considers the results from the kimberlites in both Tsabong and Kokong to be very encouraging. It also said that the potential for economic kimberlites to be present in the Kokong field is very good.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Kgalagadi South, John Toto, contended that even if the results are positive for future mining of diamonds in Tsabong, government should consult with his constituents.
“I am in total agreement with government policy that all minerals in this country are to benefit all Batswana in terms of development. But we continue to see no significant improvement in the lives of Batswana particularly those that are residing in areas where mines are located,” said Toto.
He said that Kgalagadi district may be rich in minerals, but there is no sign of any results of commissioning the drilling for future mining so as to help improve the lives of Batswana and in particular residents of Kgalagadi.
“We have seen some of them camp in the village here in Tsabong. Eventually they disappeared into the bush, but have residents never heard about the results of their prospecting let alone that government is continuing to benefit from the grants,” he said, adding that the communities of the Kgalagadi district are unable to see the tangible benefits of the expeditions.
Toto also charged that government tends to shroud ‘secrecy’ over the processes of the explorations.