Afri-Can Marine Minerals Corp.’s sampling program on exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) 3403 marine diamond concession in Namibia began on Dec. 2, 2012. The program will last for at least 14 days and a minimum of 250 samples of five square metres each will be extracted.
The complete sampling plans a total of 553 samples to be extracted in two distinct programs. The report is available on the company’s website.
The first program plans that a minimum of 250 samples are to begin delineation of the diamond potential and inferred resources in targeted areas of the diamondiferous features already identified in the southern portion of EPL 3403. The program will also include some exploratory samples in new target areas delineated by the recent geophysical survey.
Sampling priorities target the following areas:
Area 1: A minimum of 75 samples is planned starting at the crater going
eastward into the basin region. Area 1 covers approximately 2.81
square kilometres and is largely covered by the crater region.
Previous sampling programs recovered 26 diamonds with an average size of
0.56 carat per stone. Several diamonds have been extracted in a tight
grid showing potential concentration, and area 1 represents good
potential for the development of a mineral resource.Area 2: A minimum of 100 samples is planned for area 2, which covers
approximately 6.91 square kilometres. It contains five newly outlined
sampling regions, including part of a channel approximately eight kilometres
in length and forming a deeper depression in the central portion of area
2. Previous sampling programs recovered 29 diamonds with an average size
of 0.49 carat per stone. Several diamonds have been extracted in a tight
grid showing potential concentration. The five sampling regions covering
area 2 represent good potential for the development of a mineral
resource.
Target 1: A minimum of 75 samples is planned for the region named
Ridges, which covers approximately 18 square kilometres along the
eastern boundary of the concession. The region shows a series of bedrock
ridges that are typical of diamond-enrichment zones in the vicinity of
EPL 3403 and elsewhere along the Namibian coast. This region represents
strong potential for successful exploratory sampling.
- Area 1: A minimum of 75 samples is planned starting at the crater going
eastward into the basin region. Area 1 covers approximately 2.81
square kilometres and is largely covered by the crater region.
Previous sampling programs recovered 26 diamonds with an average size of
0.56 carat per stone. Several diamonds have been extracted in a tight
grid showing potential concentration, and area 1 represents good
potential for the development of a mineral resource.
- Area 2: A minimum of 100 samples is planned for area 2, which covers
approximately 6.91 square kilometres. It contains five newly outlined
sampling regions, including part of a channel approximately eight kilometres
in length and forming a deeper depression in the central portion of area
2. Previous sampling programs recovered 29 diamonds with an average size
of 0.49 carat per stone. Several diamonds have been extracted in a tight
grid showing potential concentration. The five sampling regions covering
area 2 represent good potential for the development of a mineral
resource.
- Target 1: A minimum of 75 samples is planned for the region named
Ridges, which covers approximately 18 square kilometres along the
eastern boundary of the concession. The region shows a series of bedrock
ridges that are typical of diamond-enrichment zones in the vicinity of
EPL 3403 and elsewhere along the Namibian coast. This region represents
strong potential for successful exploratory sampling.
The sampling and exploration vessel the Explorer has been chartered for the program. It is an efficient, dedicated sampling vessel, which can sample down to a depth of 250 metres of water and extract up to 21 samples per day. The sample size is five square metres, and the sampling tool can work through up to eight metres below the seabed in its configuration set for EPL 3403.
EPL 3403 covers approximately 800 square kilometres and is adjacent to the north of the Atlantic One mining lease 47 owned by Namdeb Diamond Corp. (Pty.) Ltd., a 50/50 partnership between the government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Centenary AG. ML 47 is the largest marine diamond deposit in the world and is currently producing in excess of 1.1 million carats per year.
Bob De Decker, MSc, PrSci, Nat, is the author of the geophysical survey analysis report and is responsible for the technical part of this press release. He is the designated qualified person under the terms of National Instrument 43-101.
