Lucapa Diamond Company Limited (ASX: LOM) (“Lucapa” or “the Company”) is pleased to report the first diamond recoveries from the 70 per cent owned Mothae kimberlite mine in Lesotho (Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho 30 per cent).

The diamonds were recovered through the existing bulk sampling plant and infrastructure at Mothae, which has been refurbished ahead of schedule, as part of the previously announced bulk sampling program (BSP).

The initial diamond recoveries - sourced from residual material and kimberlite stockpiles that are not included in the Mothae JORC resource - were observed during a site visit to Mothae by Lucapa representatives, advisors, brokers and investors following the Mining Indaba Conference in Cape Town. The largest of the diamonds recovered in the first test run was 6.6 carats.

Selection of white stones (pre-acid) from the diamonds recovered in the first BSP run at Mothae. As previously advised, the BSP is designed to provide additional resource and diamond data to expand the life of mine, while also generating early cash flows.

Construction of the new 150 tph processing plant, including an XRT large-diamond recovery circuit, continues and remains on schedule for full commissioning and commercial production in H2 2018.