Lucapa Diamond Company has intensified its efforts to locate the primary source of rough diamonds that supply the Lulo mine in Angola, by sampling kimberlites from the nearby Cacuilo River.
The company has identified the area beneath and around the river as a key focus for sampling, believing that the river has transported diamonds from the “mother lode” into Lulo’s alluvial pit. However, heavy flooding has hindered their access to the area for sampling, Lucapa reported on Monday.
In another sampling effort, drilling in a different area has yielded 97 diamonds totaling 110.7 carats, with an additional 4.6 carats recovered after reprocessing ore. Lucapa currently has 26 kimberlites selected for bulk sampling.
“We are excited to resume our exploration program and access previously unreachable areas,” said Lucapa managing director Nick Selby. “We are preparing to access kimberlite L014 for necessary delineation drilling and bulk sampling. Road construction and sample planning are also progressing for other priority targets near the Cacuilo River. We look forward to updating the market as sampling results become available.”
