Heritage Cases

The prospecting area was identified through aerial photographs. The extent of the prospecting area will be 632.29 hectares. Information from geological surveys will be used in order to determine where the test pits will take place. This will in turn help to determine the boundaries of the proposed prospecting area for more detailed surveying. PHASE 1: Geological desktop studies and surveys in order to try and identify the gravel run. Various geological maps and instruments will used to identify if gravel deposits might be present on the application area. 6 Months needed for phase 1. PHASE 2: In Phase 2 test pits will be made (1 m x 2 m x ± 6m deep), on a grid of 100 x 100meters and where necessary on a 50 x 50 meters grid where the gravel outcrops. These test pits are made with a 30 ton excavator, to determine if any diamond bearing gravel does occur. This test pits will be closed up immediately before the excavator move on to the next one. 12 Months are needed for Phase 2. PHASE 3: In order to determine the quality the gravel needs to be taken out and tested, by putting it through the washing process. Trenching will be used to open the gravel in order to get a representative sample for testing. The trenches will be 20 x 60 x ± 6 m (deep). In one trench ± 7’200m³ (8’185 ton) gravel will be exposed and tested with a 16 feet washing pan at a rate of 10m³ (16 ton) an hour. The total prospecting area is 632.29 hectares, thus it is anticipated that a total of 57’600m³ (bulk sample) will be tested by making 16 trenches on different locations over the whole prospecting area (over 42 months), where the possibility of gravel were identified with the test pits. Only (2) two of these will be open at any given time. Taken at an 8 hour working day, 5 days a week and 20 days a month, the applicant will be able to process 8’000m³ a month. The processing of 57’600m³ will take about 42 months for Phase 3 including the rehabilitation.