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Exploration at a mine in eastern Zimbabwe by an alliance between the Development Trust of Zimbabwe and the Russian company OZGEO has proven successful, and they may very well ramp up their activities to full-scale production in mere months, the company stated, according to the Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald.

 

At a media tour of DTZ's Chimanimani facilities, the diamond company's chief geologist Mikhail Malykh said that over 7,000 carats have been mined since they began exploratory operations in 2010. Malykh revealed that DTZ was employing both diamond drills to determine the depth of the site's reserves and Alrosa-manufactured x-ray sorting plants to classify the rough diamonds.

 

The joint venture's deputy managing director, who is also the chair of the Geological Society of Zimbabwe, said that drilling activities have revealed deposits of 2 meters and 2.8 meters, respectively. He also noted that if their estimates pan out, the company would be funding the construction of local roads and a water reservoir development project for the township.