Sierra Leone Diamond says finds kimberlite in Lake Popei project area

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Sierra Leone Diamond Co Ltd said it has found kimberlite in the south west of Sierra Leone, West Africa in the Lake Popei project area.

The diamond and mineral exploration company said 800 metres of core drilling has been completed resulting in the intersection of a primary kimberlite.

The company said it has scheduled a work programme of up to 200,000 metres of drilling to define the extent of the Tonkolili mineralisation under its Tonkolili project about 150 kilometres from the Pepel deep water port. It will take up metallurgical testwork, flowsheet development and preliminary engineering to complete a scoping study by the second quarter of 2008, it added.

The AIM-listed company said it is starting a drilling campaign to define the extent of iron mineralisation along with initial metallurgical testwork, flowsheet development and preliminary engineering at its Marampa project.

Sierra Leone said it is very pleased with the initial results from its exploration projects and that it is the beginning of its strategy to be a diversified minerals producer.

Sierra Leone Diamond says finds kimberlite in Lake Popei project area - Forbes.com