BOTSWANA DIAMONDS PLC

Regulatory Filings • Aug 19, 2013

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RNS Number : 9344L

Botswana Diamonds PLC

19 August 2013

19 August 2013

Botswana Diamonds plc ("Botswana Diamonds" or the "Company")

Joint Venture in Botswana

The board of Botswana Diamonds, the AIM listed diamond explorer (AIM: BOD), is pleased to announce that an agreement to explore in Botswana has been signed by Atlas Minerals (Pty) Ltd (Botswana), a wholly owned subsidiary of Botswana Diamonds, and by Sunland Holdings SA (Switzerland) a wholly owned subsidiary of OJSC "Alrosa" of Russia. Alrosa is the world's largest rough diamond producer by volume  with 17 producing mines and a highly successful exploration record.  The unique exploration technology developed by Alrosa will be applied in Botswana for the first time.

The agreement requires equal contributions from each party.  The joint venture will utilise and merge the exploration technology available to Sunland with the on ground expertise and extensive diamond database held by Botswana Diamonds.

Applications have been lodged for licences in the Orapa region.  The first ground has been obtained and work is expected to commence in Q3 2013.  The initial budget is $1 million.

John Teeling, Chairman, commented "We are delighted with this agreement.  This is good news for Botswana Diamonds - and for Botswana itself.  We have already been working together for over 18 months on selecting the best ground in the Orapa and Gope areas of Botswana and we have multiple targets.  More diamond deposits remain to be discovered in Botswana.  The unique technologies being brought to bear on the Kalahari sands improves the chances of success."

Enquiries:

Botswana Diamonds PLC
John Teeling, Chairman	+353 1 833 2833
Robert Bouquet, Director	+ 32 477 228851
Westhouse Securities Limited
Richard Baty	+44 (0) 20 7601 6100
Keith Bayley Rogers & Co. Limited
Niall Pearson	+44 (0) 20 7156 5035
Hugh Oram	+44 (0) 20 7156 5041
African Alliance Botswana Securities
Kabelo Mohohlo	+267 364 3954
Oratile Leburu	+267 364 3977
Blythe Weigh Communications	+44 (0) 20 7138 3204
Tim Blythe	+44 (0) 7816 924 626
Halimah Hussain	+44 (0) 7725 978 141
Eleanor Parry	+44 (0) 7551 293 620
Pembroke Communications
Natalie Tennyson	+353 1 649 6334
Alan  Tyrrell	+353 1 649 6334

www.botswanadiamonds.co.uk

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