Hello Andrew, Goalie, Peter, Confluence & ALL
Thanks for all the kind words.
Just a quick follow up. KF called with a few corrections to my post which I note below. Also with some additional info.
Again I caution before I go on. As before, this post is my understanding of what was said and while I attempted to write down everything, some things might have been confused in the translation. Therefore, please DO NOT attribute any of this information as being completely accurate nor sourced from anyone else but me. This is NOT a KF or SUF NR.
My post paragraphs are reprinted in lower case and where a change has been made it is in UPPER CASE.
Translation: Kim and his team have sampled stream and other sediments between the Leopard fissure on the Rusland farm IN THE CENTRAL AREA all the way to the M-1 pipe (9km) on the Marsfontein farm to the east and another 5.5 km, direction and distribution not indicated. They have found consistent indicator minerals of a quality suggesting economic source(s) and therefore it would appear that a strong likelihood exists for one or more fissure like deposits to connect the two distant farms through what is believed to be a corridor of weakness in the earth's crust. THE 14.5KM FIGURE COMES FROM THE WESTERN EXTREMITY OF RUSLAND THROUGH TO JUST BEYOND THE M-1.
Kim also had the following tid bits of interest:
- There is a fissure in the wall of the M-1 pipe meandering back and forth within a diabase dike. Because of its shifting position, actual width has not as yet been determined, but it appears to be of a similar width as the Leopard fissure. No information on strike. The kimberlite in these two intrusions is different and therefore the M-1 does not appear to be a blow but rather a younger pipe intruding a pre-existing dike which intruded a pre-existing diabase. SUPPOSITION : THIS COULD BE AN EXTENSION OF THE LEOPARD FISSURE. THERE IS ALSO A DIABASE CAP OR SILL PARTIALLY LIMITING HALF OF THE M-1'S SURFACE EXPOSURE HOWEVER PUBLISHED M-1 RESOURCE CALCULATIONS ALREADY COMPENSATE FOR THAT.
- THE DIABASE IS WEAKLY DIAMONDIFEROUS DUE TO IT BEING INTRUDED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED FISSURE AND ITS 300,000 TONNES HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE STOCKPILED FOR SLOW INCLUSION IN MILL FEED. IT ACTUALLY AIDS THE CRUSHING PROCESS.
- THE DIABASE IS RUNNING .20-.25CARATS PER TONNE
- THE DIABASE RESOURCE HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN ANY ANNOUNCED RESOURCE CALCULATIONS
- THERE ARE ALSO 220,000 TONNES OF LOW GRADE GRAVELS STOCKPILED RUNNING ROUGHLY .32 CARATS PER TONNE WHICH HAVE ALSO NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN PUBLISHED RESOURCE CALCULATIONS.
- The largest intact gem quality found to date was 99 carats but had AVERAGE colour. IT WAS NOT INCLUDED BUT RATHER IT HAD A STRESS FRACTURE DIVIDING THE STONE BY ROUGHLY 1/3 – 2/3'S
- ALL THESE LARGE STONES I AM REFERRING TO WERE FROM THE M-1
- THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME 40 AND 50 CARAT STONES BUT THEY WERE NOT GEM QUALITY.
- The next largest gem was a 32 carat which had EXCELLENT colour and NO INCLUSIONS.
- that large stone that was believed to be shattered by mechanical recovery was in fact intact until it got to the acid CLEANING circuit. Its many flaws were filled with cementing minerals which were dissolved by the acid and it literally fell apart once the cement was eliminated. It is now believed that its various parts added up to approximately a 200 carat original weight.
I also hope to get further information on the following three kimberlites referenced in the 1997 AR and will pass along any information.
- Preliminary investigations of the large but irregular Pruissen pipe. IT COULD BE A SWARM OF FISSURES AND DYKES BUT PROBABLY NOT HIGH GRADE
- Preliminary investigations of the Doornrivier kimberlite. IT APPEARS TO BE A FISSURE AND PROBABLY IS AN EXTENSION OF THE ONE INTERSECTING THE M-1. DB'S HAS DONE THE WORK ON IT AND SUF HAS NOT AS YET BEEN UPDATED ON IT. THIS IS A GOOD SIGN THAT THE FISSURE SYSTEM MAY CARRY ON TO THE EAST WELL BEYOND THE M-1.
- Preliminary investigations of the Meinhardskraal fissures and adjacent indicator mineral anomalies. THIS APPEARS TO BE A FISSURE SYSTEM RUNING THROUGH THE FARM. INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE THAT IT IS A SWARM OF THIN STRINGERS MAKING UP AN EXTENSIVE INTRUDED ZONE – GREAT CHEMISTRY – MICRO DIAMONDS FOUND THROUGH GEOCHEMICAL SAMPLING PROCESS – NOT MAJOR FOCUS HOWEVER DUE TO NEED TO FOCUS ON PRIORITY OF LOOKING FOR PIPES AND THICKER FISSURES AND TO MAKE SURE SUFFICIENT EXPLORATION OCCURES WHERE PERMITS AND OPTIONS ARE UNDER TIME LIMITS AND MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS.
- TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS COMING FROM KIM AND HOWARD - POSSIBLY THIS WEEK.
My thanks to Kim for getting back to me and I hope all of you enjoy the coming months.
Regards (and fingers still crossed)
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