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Project Status: On Hold - operations on care & maintenance
Exploration Stage: Bulk Sampling
Location: West of Tshikapa, southwestern DRC
Project Areas: Mvula Milenge, Dier, Yusufu, Ikulu
Operator: Pangea DiamondFields PLC
Licence Area: 127.00 km²

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History | Geology | Location | Infrastructure | Exploration

Pangea DiamondFields has eleven exploration and small mine permits in the Tshikapa Diamond Field of the Kasai Occidental Province. The Longatshimo River Project comprises three exploitation permits (PEPM) and three prospecting permits (PR).Two of these prospecting permits are in the process of being converted to exploitation permits. All permits straddle the Longatshimo River.

History
The Tshikapa Diamond Field is situated within the West Kasai Region of the DRC in the Kasai-Occidental Province, within the Congo-Angola diamond province. The Tshikapa Diamond Field lies directly downstream of the alluvial diamond fields of the Lucapa Graben in northeastern Angola.

Production from the diamond field was dominated by the Belgian company Societe Internationale Forestiere et Miniere du Congo (“Forminiere’) until independence in the early 1960’s. Since then, official records of production are sketchy and unreliable as artisanal miners took control of mining in the area. Historical production from the diamond field was primarily sourced from active rivers and alluvial terraces along the river banks and, to a lesser extent, from the Kwango Formation conglomerates.

Local Geology
The local geology of the Tshikapa area comprises flat Cretaceous sediments un conformably overlying the basement rocks. The Cretaceous sediments are comprised of the Loia and Bukungu Series. The Loia comprises a basal conglomerate dominated with basement clasts followed by arkoses and fine orange-brown sandstones and the Bukungu contains sandstones and local conglomerate. These formations are not diamondiferous. The Loia and Bukungu are overlain by the diamondiferous Kwango Formation. This formation is comprised of a deltaic basal conglomerate succeeded by sandstones. The Kwango Formation is covered by Kalahari Supergroup sands.

Location & Access
The project is located near the town of Kamonia in southwestern DRC. Kamonia has a small airstrip which is serviced by daily flights from Tshikapa. In addition a bush airstrip providing access for relatively large freight aircraft has been established within a reasonable distance from the Longatshimo River project. Transport by air for smaller items is the most effective, quickest and reliable method of travel within the DRC. The roads in the country are in poor condition and many are impassable. River crossings are often problematic due to the poor state of repair of bridges and ferries. However, the road from Tshikapa to the PDF Longatshimo camp is in good condition and involves a travelling time of three hours.

In order for large mining equipment to be transported to site, PDF pioneered a 4700km over land route from South Africa through Namibia and Angola into the Southern DRC. This included the replacement or repair of bridges as well as the construction of new sections of road where these were either in disrepair or in some places non-existent.

Legal Aspects and Tenure
A local company in the name of Efidium DRC sprl was established in Kinshasa in 2007. All permits entitle PDF to 100% of the profits less a royalty for the original licence holder of between 6 and 12%. Permit PEPM674 is 100% owned by PDF in the name of Nanzambi Mining Corporation sprl. which was formed in 2008. All permits are in good standing with stable legal tenure.

Infrastructure
PDF set up a permanent camp in the Longatshimo River project area during mid 2007. The camp provides tented accommodation, ablution and mess facilities for 65 staff. Water is obtained from the nearby river and purified for potable purposes. Fresh drinking water is also recovered from a natural spring in close proximity to the camp. Electricity is provided by a generator. Access to project areas within the concessions is traversed by motorbike and four wheel drive vehicles. Numerous additional access roads have been constructed from the plant to bulk sample sites as roads are limited.

A convoy of earthmoving equipment which includes a 120tph scrubber, a D6 dozer, two 25t ADT’s, a 30t excavator and a 20tph DMS processing facility was driven overland from South Africa via Namibia and Angola to site during 2007. Additional equipment was also driven to site during 2008. The bulk sampling unit was commissioned in February 2008.

Exploration and Evaluation
Exploration commenced in 2005 on three of the Longatshimo River project licences. The aim of the initial exploration programme was to identify target areas with sufficient gravels to be classified as inferred resources and more specifically to identify follow up targets for the bulk sampling programme. The exploration programme included surface mapping and pitting, sampling and processing as well as classification of gravels. Optimal mega pits were dug and the gravels processed with the use of Boesman Jigs.

Selective Bulk sampling areas were delineated by collating and assessing all results obtained from the initial exploration programme. The earth moving equipment was utilized to supply large samples (more than 1000m3) to the processing facility. To date 10 Bulk sampling terrace areas have been exploited with the main focus on Area 8, where 26 adjacent large individual bulk samples were taken and processed. This has resulted in the delineation of a potential initial mining area with an estimated 52,000 carats at an average grade of 0.33cts/m3 and overburden of 4.6m.

The Longatshimo Project is currently on “care and maintenance” until rough diamond prices improve and additional funding has been secured. On start up, the bulk sampling programme will be resumed and additional equipment will be acquired to commence with pilot mining. . The first phase of pilot mining will entail increasing the earthmoving fleet with a 40 ton excavator, additional ADT’s and enhancing the processing capacity with a 35 ton DMS and scrubber. The regional exploration programme will also continue with the aim of increasing the resource base. Four separate parcels of diamonds were sent to Kinshasa for evaluation and Kimberley cerification. These parcels attained an average evaluation price of $190/ct in Kinshasa by the official CEEC (Centre D’ Evaluation D’Expertise et de Certification). The parcels were sent to Antwerp and were held in storage awaiting sale by tender when the price of rough diamonds improved. A slight improvement in the market was forcast and a sale was conducted in mid May 2009. The total parcel of 3710 carats achieved an average price of 117$/ct which was quite acceptable during this depressed market and represented approximately 65% of the target price of US$180 per carat.