Diamond Fields reported progress on its sampling and test mining program at the Marshall Fork and Elephant Basin marine diamond concessions near Luderitz, Namibia.
Namibian Minerals (Namco) has made a formal offer to acquire the remaining shares of Ocean Diamond Mining Holdings it does not own, at 8.25 South African rand per share.
Diamond Fields reported a net loss of $1,572,530 for fiscal 1999, ended June 30, with cash reserves rising to $9,308,999 after raising nearly $11-million.
Namibian Minerals (Namco) is offering 8.25 South African rand per share, valuing Ocean Diamond Mining Holdings at $63-million (U.S.), to acquire the 30.8 million ODM shares it does not already own.
Namibian Minerals has placed a $1.3-million contract with Wirth to build a new seabed exploration tool for Namco's Namibian and South African concessions.
Namibian Minerals chairman and CEO Alastair Holberton has been appointed chairman of Ocean Diamond Mining Holdings, with operations director Peter Looijen also joining the ODM board.
Namibian Minerals raised its total estimated diamond resources to 2.9 million carats after a bulk sampling program at Feature 022 of its Hottentot Bay grant in Namibia.
Namco has appointed Michael Woodborne, former co-founder of Marine & Coastal Geo-Consultants, as exploration director to lead its second exploration phase planned for late 2000.
Diamond Fields has commenced phase 2 of its advanced sampling program on the Luderitz Sea diamond concessions in Namibia, using De Beers Marine's vessel mv Coral Sea.