Key points
- Diamond Fields contracted De Beers Marine and its vessel the mv Coral Sea to carry out phase 2, which began July 12 and is expected to last about six weeks at a cost of around $2-million (U.S.).
- Phase 2 will sample the remainder of the 1.3-million-square-meter Marshall Fork feature, conduct further test mining, and sample an area in the Diaz Point features.
- Phase 1, completed in November 1998, tested 67 sample sites and yielded an average grade of 1.3 carats per square meter, five times the previously estimated grade for the feature.
- Diamond Fields recovered 4,450 carats from phase 1, which were sold in Antwerp for an average of $164 (U.S.) per carat.
The company has commenced phase 2 of its advanced sampling program on
its Luderitz Sea diamond concessions in Namibia. The company has contracted De Beers Marine and its sampling and mining vessel, the mv Coral Sea, to undertake the work. The program, which began on July 12, is expected to last about six weeks. It involves sampling the balance of the 1.3-million-square-meter Marshall Fork feature, conducting further test mining, and sampling an area in the Diaz Point features. The phase 2 work will provide data to upgrade the diamond resource information for these areas. The program is expected to cost around $2-million (U.S.), excluding proceeds from sales of diamonds recovered during the program.
The initial phase 1, also conducted under contract by De Beers Marine,
was completed in November, 1998. Work was limited to an area of the Marshall Fork feature. The program tested 67 sample sites and yielded an average sample diamond grade of 1.3 carats per square meter, a fivefold increase over the previously estimated grade for the entire feature. From the phase 1 program, Diamond Fields recovered a total of 4,450 carats, which were sold in Antwerp for an average of $164 (U.S.) per carat.
The advanced sampling program is expected to outline sufficient diamond
resources to support a mining operation capable of producing hundreds of
thousands of carats per year. Following its completion, Diamond Fields plans to undertake a detailed feasibility study for an initial mining operation on the grant.
