Lucapa has taken further steps in its search for the major source of rough that feeds the Lulo mine in Angola, sampling kimberlites from the nearby river. 

The miner has long seen the area beneath and near the Cacuilo River as a main priority for sampling, believing the water body carried diamonds from nearby — the “mother lode” — into Lulo’s alluvial pit. However, severe flooding of the river has limited the company’s access to the area for carrying out samples, Lucapa said Monday. 

Meanwhile, sample drilling in another area has uncovered 97 diamonds totaling 110.7 carats. A further 4.6 carats were found after reprocessing ore. The company currently has 26 kimberlites selected for bulk sampling, it noted. 

“We are excited to be back in full flow with the exploration program and gaining access to the areas that were previously inaccessible,” said Lucapa managing director Nick Selby. “The preparation work is well underway for accessing kimberlite L014, from which we will be doing the necessary delineation drilling and taking bulk samples. Road construction and sample planning is progressing for the other priority targets close to the Cacuilo River. We look forward to bringing further updates to the market, as the sampling results become available.” 

Image: The Lulo mine. (Lucapa Diamond Company)