Key points
- IMDH will conduct deep sea testing near Walvis Bay to calibrate the vessel’s sampling equipment, treatment plant and dynamic positioning system (DP II).
- The Block J sampling program will consist of 332 samples across four geological features, with 237 sited within previously delineated targets covering 18.96 square kilometres and 95 testing untested formations.
- CEO Pierre Leveille said recent marine diamond prices from Namibia have held above $200 (U.S.) per carat.
- Program details are contained in the report “EPL 2499 (block J) phase 3 sampling, 2009,” available on the company’s website.
Afri-Can Marine Minerals Corp. has been informed by International Mining and Dredging Holding Ltd. (IMDH) that the contracted diamond sampling vessel MV DP The Explorer has left Cape Town, South Africa, for the port of Walvis Bay in Namibia. IMDH will then conduct deep sea testing in the vicinity of Walvis Bay in order to calibrate the new on board sampling equipment, treatment plant and dynamic positioning system (DP II) for optimal efficiency. IMDH will also conduct crew training and a test sampling program to ensure all systems are functioning properly before commencing the sampling program on Afri-Can’s block J offshore diamond concession in Namibia.
A detailed schedule for the sampling program on block J will be established once IMDH confirms that the vessel and its sampling system are functioning at optimal efficiency. A complete schedule of operation will be communicated to the company’s shareholders in due course.
Afri-Can’s technical team is currently finalizing the details of the sampling program in collaboration with IMDH. Preparations include incorporation of Afri-Can’s database into the positioning system of the vessel, establishment of quality controls and security procedures, and detailed sample locations.
“We are pleased with the high level of collaboration between our technical team and IMDH, and look forward to a successful sampling program. It is encouraging that recent prices for marine diamonds from Namibia have held above $200 (U.S.) per carat, indicating that our segment has been less affected by economic problems than the general market for rough diamonds,” said Pierre Leveille, Afri-Can’s president and chief executive officer.
The sampling program in block J will cover four geological features and will consist of a total of 332 samples. Of these, 237 are sited within previously delineated targets covering 18.96 square kilometres. The remaining 95 samples are designed to test geological formations that are thought to be potentially diamond bearing, but have not yet been proved as such. Details of the program are contained in the report titled, “EPL 2499 (block J) phase 3 sampling, 2009,” which can be viewed in the Investors/Technical Reports section of the company’s website. The aim of the complete surveying and sampling program is to delineate diamond resources on Afri-Can’s block J marine diamond concession in Namibia in compliance with National Instrument 43-101.
