Botswana Diamonds Secures Environmental Approval for Thorny River Project

Botswana Diamonds PLC has received a significant milestone with the granting of environmental authorization for one of its two mining permit applications for the Thorny River project in Limpopo, South Africa.

The approval, issued by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, brings the company closer to resuming mining operations at the project. The company expects to receive the full mining permit within the next six weeks, pending the completion of additional community consultations.

The Thorny River project, located 6 kilometers from the Marsfontein diamond mine, encompasses a kimberlite blow on a dyke system. Botswana Diamonds submitted mining permit applications for the project in late 2022, following extensive exploration activities including ground geophysics, drilling, and bulk sampling.

Botswana Diamonds chairman John Teeling said: “We are delighted to see that this authorisation has come through and we anticipate that the mining permit will soon be granted.  The Thorny River project is well placed to restart and expand mining operations when prices recover.”