AFRICA — Rex Diamond explores in Mauritania

Rex Diamond (RXD-T) has launched an exploration program aimed at finding diamond-bearing kimberlites in the desert of northern Mauritania.

The diamond-producing company recently announced the discovery of a 30-by-30-km area containing numerous pyrope garnets and several magnetic anomalies in one of its concession areas.

Serge Muller, chief executive officer of Rex, told delegates at a recent diamond conference that the program in the West African country is the brainchild of Luc Rombouts, who heads the company’s exploration division.

“Initial results are very encouraging indeed,” he said, adding that the Reguibat craton does not show evidence of heavy erosion.

The company is particularly encouraged by studies that show that the pyrope garnets have a chemical composition typical of diamond-bearing kimberlites.

Moreover, several near-circular depressions are visible on aerial photographs of the concession area. These depressions have a diameter of 300 to 500 metres and could point to kimberlite craters, the company adds.

To date, Rex has flown 100,000 line km of aeromagnetic surveys on the Reguibat craton in Mauritania. It also has carried out analyses of Landsat satellite images and taken 600 heavy-mineral samples on a regular grid.

Sampling by field crews is continuing at a rate of 300 to 400 samples per month.

Rex has two exploration permits in the country, Akchar and Hammami, covering 46,700 sq. km. A third permit, Tenoumer, covers 25,600 sq. km and is under application. All three are wholly owned by Rex and cover the core of the Archean Reguibat craton.

Exploration to date has focused chiefly on the southern half of the Hammami permit; the northern half has been subjected only to geophysical work.

Rex Diamond produces diamonds at several fissure mines in South Africa, and also holds exploration projects in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The company reported a net profit of US$606,867 for the six months ended Sept. 30, 1997, up from US$321,108 for the comparable period in 1996.

Production totalled 21,901 carats from 118,678 tonnes. The company markets its own diamonds through a subsidiary in Antwerp, Belgium.