A sampling program recently concluded by Afri-Can at the EPL 3403 marine diamond mining concession off the coast of Namibia has turned up 84 diamonds, 15 of which were over 0.5 carats in weight each, the company reported this week.

The largest diamonds yielded by the sample weighed 1.6, 1.3, and 1.15 carats.

The size distribution of the sample's diamonds indicates potential concentration of large diamonds of high quality, and Afri-Can plans to move on to the next phase of diamond exploration at the site, including a geophysical survey, as soon as possible.

Afri-Can President and CEO Pierre Leveille said that the company expected the global diamond market to "remain robust for many years as demand surpasses supply and new diamond mining projects are few… We feel that we are sitting on a strong project in a very solid industry."