- Deflation surface and pothole resources. Bulk to date are surface resources

- 2380 hand pits dug to determine gravel volume

- 20 km of trenches dug producing 264 bulk samples each 350 to 500 m3

- 91 000 m3 treated in plant comprising scrubber, two 16’ pans, 20tph DMS and flow sorter

- Verified resource base of 454,000 carats and an additional potential resources of 579,000 carats

- Pothole resources still being determined

- More resources expected

Commissioning underway on IGE's Bakerville diamond mine (2 Nov, 2011)  more info

Bakerville diamond mine starts production (27 Des, 2011)  more info 

Bakerville Project overview

Ownership structure

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History

The Lichtenburg section of the Bakerville diamond fields was "officially” discovered in 1926. Total recorded production from the Transvaal alluvial diamond fields, up to 1989, was 10.8Mcts, of which 7.5Mcts (70%) came from the Lichtenburg field. Production reached a peak in about 1931, and gradually tailed off since then. In the late 1970’s, approximately 30 small-scale diggers were recovering about 650cts per year.

Interest in the area was renewed in the 1980s with the release of a government survey report which indicated that undiscovered diamondiferous gravels may occur beneath sand cover within sinkholes and channels outside of the known major runs. An important change in South African law "opened-up” these properties to outside parties providing new exploration opportunities for new entrants, such as IGE (at that point PDF), who acquired this license from De Beers.

Exploration to Date

An area covering approximately 8,5 km2 in the northern portion of the farm Zamenkomst was subjected to limited ground gravity survey in 2005 this was followed-up by geological mapping, identifying and confirming potential gravel runs and potholes delineated from the gravity survey

Various potential diamond-bearing gravel runs and potholes on the northern half of Zamenkomst have been drill tested. Potholes and runs identified by the drilling programme have been the focus of a bulk sampling programme in 2007 and 2008.

This exploration has identified an extensive diamondiferous gravel deposit on surface. Trenching and extensive bulk sampling to prove a resource large enough to sustain commercial scale diamond mining were completed in 2009. The bulk sampling plant was upgraded to a pilot mining scale with the addition of two 16’ pans and additional earthmoving equipment.

Future Exploration 

Exploration and bulk sampling has mainly concentrated on the northern half of the farm Zamenkomst 4IP, but the programme now also extends to the adjacent. Geological mapping and pitting on most of Houthaaldoorns, Welverdiend, Ruigtelaagte and Uitgevonden have been completed, as well as an in house feasibility study, which yielded positive results. RC drilling is to be carried-out in the near future in an attempt to locate, delineate and map potential potholes and runs below the wide-spread surface gravels. The Mining Right application to allow full scale exploitation of the deposit was submitted in Q3 2009 and awarded in Q1 2011.

18 ct

Local Geology

The alluvial deposits of the Lichtenburg area all rest on an irregular bedrock of Transvaal Dolomite, (Lyttleton and Monte Christo Formations) comprising dolomite inter-bedded with chert units. The gravels occur as patches and "runs”, representing an ancient drainage system. The runs are often punctuated by large sinkholes or potholes filled with gravel, which can be as deep as 70m. Individual runs may be as much as 140m wide, and are often traceable for several kilometres, with diamondiferous gravel up to approximately 3m thick, with a reported average of 1.0-1.5m thick.

Pothole

Lichtenburg Diamond Fields are historically a very rich area with exceptional recoveries, and the Bakerville Project are based on previously sterilized area that shows similar diamond traits to the surrounding area. During the evaluation of the thin surface gravel diamond deposit a number of north-east south-west trending structures were identified in the dolomite terrain on the Bakerville property. These are vertical fissures developed along joints in limestone by dissolution commonly also referred to as grikes. The structure are locus for pothole development and one such structure connecting the famous Pienaars Pothole and other mined potholes outside the property, to areas delineated as potential potholes within the Bakerville property.

"Pienaars Pothole" - typical deep pothole in the Bakerville area

Photos from Bakerville Project November 2011

Photos from Bakerville Project Desember 2011

                      This surface is up to 90 million years old (older than the Alps)