Botswana Diamonds Secures New Licences to Expand into Copper and Gold Exploration
Botswana Diamonds Enters Copper and Gold Exploration with 7,000 km² of New Licences in Botswana
AIM- and BSE-listed Botswana Diamonds has announced the award of eight prospecting licences covering approximately 7,000 km² in north-western Botswana, marking a potential entry into the copper and gold sectors.
The licences, which are valid until December 31, 2028, were selected following an extensive AI-driven assessment of the company’s Botswana-focused exploration database, which spans about 95,000 km².
The analysis incorporated a large body of geophysical survey data and identified strong prospectivity for copper, with additional potential for gold and other critical minerals.
The company noted that the same proprietary artificial intelligence technology has previously been applied to its diamond exploration efforts, successfully identifying six previously unreported kimberlite-prone areas, over which Botswana Diamonds also holds prospecting licences.
Botswana Diamonds said the move into copper reflects ongoing weakness in the global diamond market, alongside robust and growing demand for copper and other metals critical to the energy transition.
The company highlighted Botswana’s stable operating environment and strong geological potential, pointing to increasing copper activity in the country.
Several mining companies are already active, including MMG and Sandfire Resources, which operate newly developed copper mines, as well as explorers such as Cobre—through a joint venture with BHP—Kavango Resources, Galileo Resources and Aterian.
Initial discussions have already begun with potential partners regarding a joint venture to advance exploration across the newly awarded copper-prospective licences.
In parallel, Botswana Diamonds plans to undertake detailed, close-spaced geophysical and geochemical surveys to refine targets and define priority drill locations.
While diversifying its exploration focus, the company said it would continue to monitor conditions in the diamond market and manage capital deployment across its diamond projects accordingly.
“The continued application of AI to our extensive Botswana exploration database is delivering exceptional results,” chairperson John Teeling said on January 26. “Following the successful identification of kimberlite-prone ground, which led to the discovery of six previously unknown anomalies, we extended our analysis to copper and related minerals.
“The outcomes were outstanding, and we have now secured eight prospecting licences covering many of these highly prospective areas. Copper and other energy-related minerals are essential to the global energy transition and the move towards a greener future,” he said.
Teeling added that while the company’s long-term focus remains on diamonds, current market conditions for the sector are challenging.
“These conditions will improve over time, and this strategy allows us to continue advancing the business as a mining company while remaining committed to diamonds in the longer term.
In the meantime, we have seen strong interest from third parties in both our technology and our results, and we believe there is clear potential to progress these licences efficiently through partnerships and structured exploration programmes,” he said.
