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The main areas where diamonds are economically
exploited are located in the Kono, Tongo and Sewa
Valley districts. The Kono district was historically
the most lucrative with primary sources located
around the towns of Kono and Koidu. Various structurally
controlled rivers towards the Lapi River, which
in turn drains into the Sewa River, drain this
area.
The Tongo and Kono fields are characterised by
the presence of kimberlitic dykes and pipes as
well as large river and alluvial deposits. The
Upper and Middle Sewa River Valley consists of
a relative narrow gorge that ranges from a few
hundred meters to roughly 2km in width with diamonds
occurring in the River itself, and also in various
terrace gravels along the riverbanks. The Lower
Sewa River flows on the coastal plain elevation,
where the river opens up, resulting in a wider
river as well as gorges. Although diamond deposits
do occur in this area the average size is much
smaller.
An exploration scheme is in place within the
company’s currently secured 4,262 acres
in order to prepare new areas for mining, using
the innovative technique known as Resonance Acoustic
Profiling. Further exploration is in planning
for other areas in Sierra Leone where large deposits
are known to exist.
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