A major diamond discovery is taking shape in northeastern Angola, as a newly unveiled resource estimate reveals millions of carats hidden beneath the surface of the Tchiuzo kimberlite pipe.
Lipari Mining Ltd. (Cboe CA:LML) has achieved a significant milestone with the completion of an NI-43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for the Tchiuzo kimberlite pipe. This development marks a pivotal step in advancing the company’s 75 per cent-owned Tchitengo Diamond Project, located in northeastern Angola.
Establishing a flagship resource
The Tchiuzo kimberlite pipe is the first among a cluster of 30 identified kimberlite pipes on the Tchitengo property to reach this advanced stage. The newly released resource estimate, independently prepared by Z Star Mineral Resource Consultants Ltd. of South Africa, confirms the commercial potential of the deposit:
- Indicated resource:
- 32.1 million tonnes (Mt) of kimberlite
- Containing 14.6 million carats
- Grade: 46 carats per hundred tonnes (cpht)
- Depth: ~220 metres
- Inferred resource:
- 22.7 Mt of kimberlite
- Containing 8.5 million carats
- Grade: 38 cpht
- Depth: ~360 metres
The estimate is based on a 1 mm bottom cutoff size, aligning with commercial diamond recovery standards.
Robust geological foundation
The resource model integrates extensive historical and recent exploration data, including:
- SM Catoca drilling (2006–2009):
- 8,925 metres of core drilling across 66 holes
- 447,534 kg of kimberlite processed
- Yielded 176 carats (grade: 39.3 cpht)
- Lipari Phase I drilling (2024):
- 19 confirmatory holes totaling 3,722.7 metres
- Bulk sampling by SM Catoca (2007–2014):
- 34,630 tonnes processed
- 17,245 carats recovered (grade: 48.6 cpht)
These efforts have confirmed the geological continuity and diamond grade distribution of the Tchiuzo pipe, which remains open at depth, offering further exploration upside.
Stable location and historical investment
The Tchitengo Project is strategically located just 19 km north of the prolific Catoca mine and 35 km from the Luele mine, two of Angola’s largest diamond producers. The Tchiuzo pipe was originally discovered by SM Catoca and Alrosa in 2006, with more than US$35.6 million invested in exploration and development between 2006 and 2016.
Geological insights
Lipari’s 2024 drilling campaign confirmed the presence of two primary kimberlite lithologies:
- Tuffaceous kimberlite: Central portion of the pipe
- Tuffaceous kimberlite breccia: Along the granite contact zone
A block of volcanic breccia of sedimentary rock and a weathered saprolitic kimberlite layer were also identified, enhancing the geological model used for the NI 43-101 estimate.
Leadership insights
“This NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource estimate marks a major milestone for Lipari as we execute our growth strategy in Angola. With this robust initial resource at Tchiuzo and a strong foundation of historical work, we now have a clear path forward to advance the project to feasibility,” Lipari Mining’s President and CEO, Ken Johnson said in a release on these results. “This resource helps unlock significant long-term potential and reinforces our belief in the broader Tchitengo kimberlite field, where 30 pipes have already been identified. With our deep explorational and operational experience in Brazil, we are well positioned to replicate success in Angola as we move toward evaluating the economics of the Tchiuzo mineral resources and further delineation drilling across the roughly 1000 km2 property.”
In an exclusive interview with The Market Online’s “The Watchlist”, CEO Johnson went into more detail, calling it a confirmation of work that was done in the past.
“From the time they discovered the pipe back in 2005, to 2013, they spent $35.6 million, drilling the deposit, trial mining it, recovered about 17,000 carats of diamonds,” he said. “We have all that information and what we had to do was confirm that, so we carried out a drilling program last year.”
Click the video below to watch the interview in full.
Next steps: Toward development
Lipari plans to launch a bulk sampling program in Q3 2025, supported by the installation of a 15-tonne-per-hour kimberlite processing plant. The objective is to recover over 5,000 carats for valuation purposes, a key step in assessing the commercial viability of the Tchiuzo diamonds.
In parallel, the company will continue to evaluate other kimberlite targets within the Tchitengo Project, many of which exhibit promising geophysical and geochemical signatures.
Investor’s corner
The NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate for the Tchiuzo kimberlite pipe represents a major advancement for Lipari Mining Ltd., positioning the company to unlock significant value from one of Angola’s most prospective diamond regions.
This is sponsored content issued on behalf Lipari Mining Ltd., please see full disclaimer here.