BK16
- Full name:
- BK16
- Mwana interest:
- In March 2007, SouthernEra acquired a 55% interest in the BK16 kimberlite pipe located within the Orapa Kimberlite Field in Botswana. Under the agreement, SouthernEra has the right to earn up to a 70% interest in the project by funding exploration to the completion of a definitive feasibility study. This interest is currently held by Mwana Africa.
- Geology and history:
- BK16 is located 40 km to the east and 12 km to the north of De Beers’ Orapa and Letlhakane diamond mines, respectively. Together with De Beers’ Jwaneng mine in Southern Botswana this region is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, accounting for 34 million carats annually. The mining costs per carat are also among the lowest in the world.
- De Beers discovered Botswana’s world-class Orapa AK1 mine in 1967; established the Letlhakane Mine in 1975 and the Damshaa Mine in 2002. From the 1970’s to the 1990’s De Beers held title to the majority of permits hosting kimberlites in the Orapa Kimberlite Field. Large areas of land have since been relinquished, resulting in a significant number of known kimberlite deposits becoming available. A number of these pipes have had limited evaluation completed on them since their discovery in the 1970’s. There has been a recent growing trend in Botswana focusing on brownfields exploration where more modern evaluation techniques are being applied to previously discovered kimberlites. This retesting has, in many cases, improved reportable diamond grades, and coupled with increasing diamond prices, has resulted in projects now meeting the required economic hurdle rates.
- Current status and prospects:
- BK16 is known to be diamondiferous and was originally modeled to be 3.5Ha in size. Recently completed ground magnetometer and gravity surveys as well as drilling over BK16 suggest a larger orebody and this is being remodelled. SouthernEra completed an evaluation programme in 2007 which consisted of 19 diamond core and percussion holes totaling 2278m to establish the size of the pipe as well as the character of the kimberlite. This was followed by large diameter drilling that recovered a representative bulk sample (12.38 tons) to establish the grade and average diamond value. The results of this programme are being reviewed.
- Geological maps:
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