Tlou Energy Limited has announced that the 2014 core-hole drilling program has commenced at the Lesedi CBM Project area in Botswana. The first of the three new core-holes was spudded at 08:30am on Friday 21 February 2014.

“The well locations for the program have been selected to provide important infill data on the coal quality in and around the current pilot pods to assist with both initial reserves certification and identification of additional drilling sites for an expanded pilot well program,” it said.

It is anticipated that the data collected from the three core-holes, along with the data collected from the production testing operations on both the Selemo and Lesedi pilot pods, will optimise reserves certification in the Lesedi CBM Project area.

“Tlou is currently aiming to certify the first 2P CBM reserves in Botswana from the Lesedi CBM Project area in mid-2014. This will provide Tlou with a significant ‘first mover advantage’ to commercialise the Lesedi CBM Project and provide Botswana with a cheaper and cleaner energy solution,” Tony Gilby, Managing Director, said.