Salvador 1 Update
February 26 2008 - 2:02AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:7145O
Brazilian Diamonds Limited
26 February 2008
BRAZILIAN DIAMONDS LIMITED
SALVADOR I BULK TESTING - PRELIMINARY RESULTS PIT 1
Vancouver, BC, February 26th, 2008. Brazilian Diamonds Ltd (BDY: TSX & AIM)
("Brazilian Diamonds" or the "Company") provides the following update on the
ongoing macro-diamond testing of its 100% owned Salvador 1 kimberlite in central
Bahia State, Brazil. The Company is pleased to confirm the recovery of diamonds
from the partial processing of initially excavated kimberlite material and the
separately processed diamond bearing sands and gravels that overlay the Salvador
1 kimberlite.
The initial and partial results reported in this announcement are considered
encouraging for the remainder of the testing of the Salvador 1 kimberlite and
the Company looks forward to reporting complete results from each of its test
pits as they become available.
Salvador 1 Kimberlite Testing
The Salvador 1 kimberlite is a six hectare body partly exposed beneath the sands
and gravels of an old alluvial diamond mine in central Bahia State, Brazil. The
ongoing testing of the Salvador 1 kimberlite has completed excavation from the
first two of the scheduled six pits. Each pit is designed to extract
approximately 1,300 tonnes of kimberlite from different parts of the kimberlite
pipe.
Extraction from Pit 1 began in November 2007, and excavation is currently
proceeding on the third pit. The kimberlite is multiphase, with as many as six
kimberlite rock types identified in the first pit alone. A single one of these
phases dominates most of the excavated sample from Pit 1. Partial results are
reported herein, with complete and fully verified results to be reported upon
completion of all stages of processing.
Processing of the first kimberlite sample began in December 2007 and has been
accelerated in the first part of 2008 as on-site plant procedures for the
treatment of recovered kimberlite have been improved. This processing plant
consists of a primary disaggregation rotary pan, followed by x-ray flowsort and
grease table for the recovery of diamonds. It has been augmented with a roll
crusher to better handle harder kimberlite fragments, however sample treatment
remains slower than excavation.
While none of the samples extracted to date have been fully processed, the
Company is pleased to report the recovery of 66 diamonds weighing 7.78 carats,
with the largest stone weighing 2.65 carats from the Pit 1 kimberlite material
processed to date. These diamonds come from four separate samples taken from
within Pit 1 and represent a total of 1,460 tonnes of extracted kimberlite
("in-situ") (calculated using an experimentally determined average kimberlite
density of 2.23 g/cm3).
Approximately 52 per cent. of the total kimberlite extracted to date has begun
to be processed and significant parts of that remain incompletely processed (for
example, needing further recrushing of harder kimberlite materials to liberate
fine diamonds).
Processing of the kimberlite sub-sample from the top one metre portion of Pit 1
is almost complete with 35 diamonds weighing 2.51 carats recovered from 128
tonnes of in-situ kimberlite processed. More than half of this sample remains
to be reprocessed through the plant after crushing to liberate diamonds enclosed
in kimberlite fragments recovered during the first processing pass. These
stones were tested at the Company's ISO 17025 certificated laboratory in Patos
de Minas, with 9 remaining on a +2.0 mm screen, and 20 remaining on a 1.0 mm
screen, and 6 remaining on a +0.6 mm screen (Table 1).
Table 1: Partial results from the top sub-sample in Pit 1.
Partial Results Kimberlite Pit 1 - top 1m sub-sample Start Weight
Screen Opening # stones
+4.0 mm -
-4.0 / +2.0 mm 9 1.58 cts
2.0 / +1.0 mm 20 0.83 cts 128 tonnes*
-1.0 / +0.6 mm 6 0.10 cts
Total 35 2.51 cts
*partial results
The second sub-sample of Pit 1 weighing a total of 123 tonnes from a depth of
one to two metres into the kimberlite has yielded 20 diamonds weighing 4.45
carats, but with part of the sample still awaiting first pass and second pass
processing, as well as quality control tests at the Patos Laboratory. Of the
recovery from kimberlite to date, 1 stone weighing 2.65 carats remained on a 6.0
mm screen, 1 remained on a 4.0 mm screen, 3 remained on a +2.0mm screen, 11
remained on a 1.0 mm screen, and the other 4 remained on a +0.6 mm screen.
Table 2: Partial results from the second sub-sample (one to two metre depth)
from Pit 1.
Partial Results Kimberlite Pit 1 - second sub-sample Start Weight
1-2m depth
Screen Opening # stones
+6.0 mm 1 2.65 cts
-6.0 + 4.0 mm 1 0.90 cts
-4.0 / +2.0 mm 3 0.40 cts 123 tonnes*
2.0 / +1.00 mm 11 0.45 cts
-1.0 / +0.6 mm 4 0.05 cts
Total 20 4.45cts
*partial results
The third kimberlite sub-sample of Pit 1 is less than half way through
processing and so far has yielded 11 stones weighing 0.82 carats, demonstrating
that the Salvador 1 kimberlite carries diamonds to the maximum tested depth of
11m below the kimberlite surface.
Complete size and weight distributions will be reported upon completion of this
and the other sub-samples for Pit 1.
Quality control and quality assurance is being undertaken at the company's
certified ISO 17025 indicator mineral processing laboratory on Patos de Minas,
Brazil, where concentrates are re-examined for diamonds that may not have been
recovered in processing by the on-site plant.
Salvador 1 Alluvial Sand and Gravel Testing
Concurrent with the kimberlite sampling and processing at Salvador 1, an
entirely separate processing plant is being used to recover diamonds from the
sands and gravels overlying the Salvador 1 kimberlite.
The diamond-bearing sands and gravels overlying the Salvador 1 kimberlite have a
long history of being mined for diamonds by artisanal miners (garimpeiros) but
need to be removed for any future mining activity from the underlying
kimberlite. The Company is therefore testing these sands and gravels for their
diamond production potential at the same time as excavating pits into the
underlying kimberlite body.
The on site reporting of the preliminary results from the separate sand and
gravel processing plant include recovery of 124 diamonds weighing 17.86 carats
from 1,420 m3 bulk volume of gravel and sand material (estimated to weigh 1,720
tonnes using an estimated 2 g/cm3 density in-situ) transported to the gravel
plant. However approximately two thirds of this material has yet to be
processed through the recovery plant (flowsort and grease tables).
The material initially processed includes sands and gravels from above Pit 1 and
the kimberlite-alluvial surface and the four largest diamonds so far recovered
weigh between 0.91 and 1.06 carats. Four of the recovered diamonds remain on a
4.0 mm screen, 51 remain on a +2.0 mm screen, 52 remain on a 1.0 mm screen, and
the other 17 remain on a +0.6 mm screen.
Table 3: Partial results from the gravels and sands overlying the Salvador 1
kimberlite. Note that less than one third of the total start weight has so far
been fully processed.
Gravel and Sands Start Weight
Screen Opening # stones
+4.0 mm 4 3.57 cts
-4.0 / +2.0 mm 51 11.51 cts
2.0 / +1.0 mm 52 2.40 cts 1,720 tonnes*
-1.0 / +0.6 mm 17 0.38 cts
Total 124 17.86 cts
*partial results
Dr. Harrison Cookenboo (P.Geo), a Consulting Geologist and Qualified Person as
defined under National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for the technical
disclosure in this release and has reviewed and approved the contents of this
release. Dr. Cookenboo assisted in the design of the Salvador 1 testing
programme and completed a site field visit in December 2007. The site visit
included the examination of the kimberlite exposed in Pit 1 as referred to in
this announcement and verification of the operations up to that time.
Commenting on these results, Kenneth P. Judge, Chairman of Brazilian Diamonds
said:
"We are pleased to be able to report the recovery of diamonds from the partial
processing of samples taken from the overlying sands and gravels as well as in
all sub-samples of the Pit 1 kimberlite down to the maximum excavated depth of
11m beneath the kimberlite surface. We are especially encouraged by the
recovery of larger stones and with the introduction of new plant procedures and
equipment, we should be able to significantly increase the rate and efficiency
of processing. We therefore look forward to reporting complete results from
each of the proposed test pits as they become available."
Dr Cookenboo commented that "I am encouraged that we have recovered diamonds
from each of the Pit 1 sub-samples. Given the multiple different kimberlite
rock types ("phases") which I have seen in Pit 1 exposures as well as in the
diamond drill core, I look forward to seeing the results of the ongoing pit
tests, the receipt of which should be accelerated by the introduction of new
plant procedures and equipment".
Editors' Note
Brazilian Diamonds is a leading Brazil-based exploration company focused on the
discovery of kimberlites on its extensive portfolio of properties in the States
of Minas Gerais and Bahia, with the goal of becoming a significant producer of
diamonds.
The Company is awaiting final approval before commencing the environmental
licensing process for the development of the Canastra 1 kimberlite body for
which mine feasibility work has already been completed and the required Mines
Department approvals are already in place. It is intended to bring Canastra 1
into production once the environmental licensing process is completed.
The Company's Salvador diamond project in Bahia includes the diamondiferous
Salvador 1 kimberlite. This project was acquired from De Beers which retains a
right to reacquire up to 40 per cent. of any kimberlite found on the Salvador
properties which is confirmed to contain more that 200 carats of diamonds.
The Company has a fully operational diamond separation/analysis laboratory at
Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais which is strategically located near its properties
in the Santo Antonio and Coromandel areas. The Company has a highly experienced
team including six geologists located at the Company's facilities in Brazil.
The Company's strategy for non-core activities on its properties is to form
joint ventures. A Cdn$1,000,000 feasibility study is underway for a joint
venture for the mining of alluvial diamonds on its properties in the Santo
Antonio river drainage. The joint venture involves two important Brazilian
companies: CODEMIG, the state owned mining development organization and
Mineracao Rio Novo Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of Andrade Gutierrez SA, one
of Brazil's largest civil engineering firms and an existing large scale, dredge
based producer of alluvial diamonds.
For further information refer to the Company's website www.braziliandiamonds.com
or contact:
Brazilian Diamonds Limited
Ken Judge, Chairman + 44 7733 001 002
Stephen Fabian, CEO + 55 31 9186 4660
Investor Relations
Europe + 44 207 590 5503
North America 1-866-689-2599
Hanson Westhouse Limited (Nomad to the Company) + 44 113 246 2610
Tim Feather/Matthew Johnson
Landsbanki Securities (UK) Limited (Broker to the Company) + 44 207 426 9000
Tom Hulme
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
DRLVELFLVLBBBBK
Brazilian (LSE:BDY)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2024 to Jun 2024
Brazilian (LSE:BDY)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2023 to Jun 2024
