Lucapa Diamond Co and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho (GoL) have reported the recent recovery of a 25 ct yellow gem diamond from the Mothae kimberlite mine in Lesotho (Lucapa 70%; GoL 30%).

• Gem-quality 25 ct yellow Special among diamond recoveries from first two days of trial
  processing following bulk sampling plant modifications
• Recovered from the Neck Zone, which is not part of the current +1 million carat JORC resource.

The picture shows the 25 ct yellow gem recovered from the Neck Zone at Mothae, along with a 6 ct diamond.

Significantly, the gem-quality Special was recovered from the Neck Zone of the Mothae kimberlite, which is not part of the current +1 Mct JORC resource.  The diamond was recovered within the first two days of trial processing through the bulk sampling plant after recent efficiency and security modifications. Following sign off of the modifications, Mothae will commence processing three 50,000 t bulk samples of kimberlite material from the Neck, North and South East Zones, with the aim of adding to the JORC resource and the mine life.

Other +5 ct diamond recoveries from the first two days of trial processing of material from the Neck Zone include a 6 ct diamond.

Meanwhile, construction of the new 150 t/h treatment plant with XRT large diamond recovery technology continues on schedule for commercial production in H2 2018.

Lucapa is a growing diamond company with a portfolio of high-quality production, development and exploration assets in Angola, Lesotho, Australia and Botswana. Its focus on high-value diamond production is designed to protect cash flows in a sector of the diamond market where demand remains robust.

Lucapa’s flagship asset is the Lulo diamond project in Angola, which is a prolific producer of large and premium-value alluvial diamonds. Lulo has produced ten +100ct diamonds to date and is the highest $/ct alluvial diamond production in the world. Lucapa and its Lulo partners continue to advance the search for the primary kimberlite sources of these exceptional alluvial gems, with three drill rigs available in the ongoing kimberlite exploration program.

The Mothae kimberlite pipe is a high-quality diamond resource located within 5 km of Letšeng, the highest $/ct kimberlite diamond mine in the world. Lucapa is constructing a 150 t/h (90,000 t/month) diamond treatment plant, complete with XRT recovery technology, under its Phase 1 development program and is scheduled to commence high-value production at Mothae in H2 2018. A bulk sampling plant has been refurbished and the company will soon commence testing the Neck Zone of the kimberlite pipe not included in the JORC resource due to no historic bulk sampling and other areas that are included in the JORC resource but could be upgraded by additional sampling.

Lucapa is also furthering two earlier stage exploration assets – commencing with an extensive follow up program at Brooking in the West Kimberley lamproite province in Western Australia, where it has recently discovered lamproite with high concentrations of micro and macro diamonds. The company is also scheduled to drill its targets at the Orapa Area F project in Botswana’s Orapa diamond field in 2018.