MV Mare Oceano departed from the port of Luderitz in Namibia on Oct. 17, 2006, according to Afri-Can Marine Minerals Corp. The vessel will be on site on Oct. 18, 2006, and, upon arrival, will begin the first phase of the resources delineation program on Block J, off the coast of Namibia.
Afri-Can’s geological team on board the vessel is led by Dick Foster, Afri-Can’s resource development manager, and comprises Michael Mittlemeyer and John Pether.
Mr. Mittlemeyer is a geologist and geophysicist who holds a BSc from the University of Cape Town. He has worked for over eight years with De Beers Marine as a marine and mine geologist. Since 1998, Mr. Mittlemeyer has been a geological and geophysical consultant to mining and oil and gas companies including Trans Hex Group, Ocean Resources NL, and Frugro Geosurveys Inc. and Under Water Surveys.
Mr. Pether is a geologist and paleontologist who holds a BSc and an MSc from the University of Cape Town. He worked for over eight years with De Beers Marine as a senior project geologist. He has worked as an independent sedimentology and paleontology consultant since 2004, and is a recognized authority in the field of coastal plain paleo-environments. Mr. Pether is a consultant to the Council for Geoscience of South Africa and to several mining companies.
The first phase of the resources delineation program on Block J consists of a geophysical survey, which will total approximately 1,200 line kilometres, and the extraction of at least 25 vibro-core samples of 100-millimetre diameter. The aim of the first phase, which will last for approximately 25 days, is to accurately map and model features 6 and 8 and to increase the understanding of the geology, stratigraphy and to determine the volume of diamondiferous gravels contained in the deposits. The interpretation of the results of the first phase will enable the finalization of the details of the second phase of the program, which will essentially be a bulk sampling of approximately 319 large samples, each of 10 square metres. The second phase is planned to begin soon after the completion of the analysis and interpretation of the results from the first phase of the program. The aim of the complete program is to delineate diamond resources on Block J in compliance with National Instrument 43-101.
