Kavango Resources plc and Power Metal Resources plc have started diamond drilling target i10 at the rare earth element (REE)-copper Ditau Camp project in southwest Botswana.
Significant: carbonatites and kimberlites often occur in clusters controlled by regional geological structural trends (Kavango Resources)
JOINT VENTURE
The 50-50 joint venture (JV) is held as Kanye Resources plc, with Kavango as the operator.
TARGET i10
Target i10 is a ‘carbonatite pipe’ type intrusive target.
Kavango noted that carbonatite complexes are the world’s primary source of REEs and other strategic or industrial commodities.
PROGRAMME
The drill programme aims to extract rock core to establish whether the target is a carbonatite intrusive.
The JV has secured the camp, completed road access and drill pads, drilled the water borehole and installed the solar powered water pump.
On 15 April, Mindea Exploration & Drilling Services (Pty) began drilling the first of two planned drillholes at i10, hole DITDD003.
This is targeting the core of the magnetic high and has a target depth of 400m.
The programme involves up to six ~400m deep diamond drillholes at Ditau, comprising two drillholes at three separate magnetic anomalies of which one is i10.
KIMBERLITE CORRIDOR
Kavango chief executive Ben Turney said that the JV partners would become the first explorers to test the area’s potential for carbonatites.
“Given the fact that carbonatites and kimberlites often occur in clusters, controlled by regional geological structural trends, the Ditau property location could be significant.
“We know that Ditau is in a known kimberlite ‘corridor’, so the backdrop to drilling is favourable.”