Bushveld Drilling: now at 1457 m depth

After successfully navigating multiple intersections with lamprophyre dykes and fault zones, the BVDP team has now drilled a very thick orthopyroxenite layer in the Lower Zone up to depths of 1457 m. Before a two-week break, the hole is now being cemented again to ensure the stability of the hole throughout the zone containing numerous lamprophyre dikes. 

With on the order of 1 million km³ of igneous rocks, the Bushveld Complex constitutes a Large Igneous Province. How can such a vast volume be generated from the mantle? Unlike most Large Igneous Provinces, the Bushveld Complex is largely plutonic and represents the roots of such systems, it is bimodal in composition, with subequal proportions of mafic and felsic igneous rocks and contains a fabulous mineral wealth, with resources of strategic and high-tech metals.

Find more info on the project here. See the Daily News here.