Drill core and ore at Boseto, Kalahari Copperbelt - Following the pit visits and lunch, the group was taken to the core yard, where core was laid out from a series of thoughtfully selected drill holes from a selection of the extensive string of deposits that make up the Boseto project area. The core was well labelled, with drill logs and assay results (top left). The group had ample time to study and discuss the geology and ore with Debbie Thornton and her geological staff.
   They were shown the main varieties of ore, which may be simplified, as i). Disseminations and blebs of sulphide (mainly bornite) in arenites (bottom left); ii). Veinlets of predominantly bornite in more argillaceous rocks, following both bedding planes and fractures (upper centre) - note the two main 1 to 2 mm thick veins extending from left to right in the upper half of the image; and iii). Late quartz-carbonate veins with mainly chalcopyrite and pyrite (upper right) - note the irregular bright, 1 to 10 mm aggregates and stringers of yellow sulphides in the lower half of the image, interstitial to the blue-grey quartz and yellow to brown to white carbonate minerals.   At the end of the afternoon, the group thanked their hosts for a professionally rewarding day and departed to drive back to Maun to arrive before sunset, where they held further discussions in the evening.
   The bottom right image shows members of the group with Discovery Metals exploration staff, from the left: Debbie Thornton (Discovery Metals); George Steele (Rio Tinto, Chile); Tshepo Jori (Discovery Metals); Maatla Letsholo (Discovery Metals); Tim Poole (Rio Tinto, UK) and Jacques Batumike (Rio Tinto, Australia).  
Photographs by Mike Porter.