Beeshoek mine is situated within a sequence of early Proterozoic sediments of the Transvaal Supergroup. Mine is symmetrically located on the Maremane Anticline in the Griqualand West Sequence of the Transvaal Supergroup, as well as the Elim Group of the Keis Supergroup.

In general, two ore types are present: laminated hematite ore, forming part of the Manganore Iron Formation, and conglomerate ore, belonging to the Doornfontein Conglomerate Member at the base of the Gamagara Formation. The laminated ore types occur in the upper portion of the Manganore Iron Formation as enriched high-grade hematite bodies. The boundaries of high-grade hematite orebodies cross-cut primary sedimentary bedding, indicating that secondary hematitisation of the iron formation took place. In all of these, some of the stratigraphic and sedimentological features of the original iron formation are preserved.

The conglomeratic ore found in the Doornfontein Conglomerate Member of the Gamagara Formation, is lenticular but not consistently developed along strike. It consists of stacked, upward fining conglomerate gritstone-shale sedimentary cycles. The lowest conglomerates and gritstones tend to be rich in subrounded to rounded hematite ore pebbles and granules and form the largest part of the resource. The amount of iron ore pebbles decreases upwards in the sequence so that upper conglomerates normally consist of poorly sorted, angular to rounded chert and banded iron formation pebbles. Hematite is the predominant ore mineral, but limonite and specularite also occur.

Numerous deep iron ore extensions occur into the basins due to karst development. A prominent north-south strike of the orebodies dipping to the west is notable. The southern Beeshoek orebodies were exposed to more erosion and hence are more localised and smaller. Outcrops are limited to the higher topography on the eastern side of the properties. Down-dip to the west, the ore is thin and deep.

Mining operations are all open-pit, based on the conventional drill-and-blast, truck-and-shovel operations. Run-of-mine ore is crushed and stored as ‘on-’ or ‘off-grade’ on blending stockpiles.

Run-of-mine ore is crushed and stored as “on-grade” or “off-grade” on blending stockpiles. Ore from the stockpiles is either sent to the wash-and-screen plants or, if “off-grade”, to the beneficiation plants. The washing and screening plants consist primarily of tertiary crushing, washing, screening and conveying to three product stockpiles (Lumpy, DR Lumpy and Fines).

The beneficiation plants consist of tertiary crushers, coarse and fine jigs with lumpy and fines product stockpiles. All plant product stockpiles are loaded through a loading box on trains or hauled out for road transport on trucks. No chemicals are being used in any of the processing plants.

After the ore is mined and blended in the pits, it is loaded onto dump trucks and transported to the primary crushers. After crushing, the ore is stacked onto a longitudinal blending bed that serves as a buffer between the mining and the ore preparation plant at Beeshoek North.

The ore is then moved via conveyor to a scalping screen, where oversized rock is separated and transferred into a secondary crusher.

All crushed material is recombined and conveyed to the washing and screening section. Contaminated ore is directed to the jig facility for beneficiation.

The washing and screening plant is capable of handling 1,400 tons per hour at full capacity and is controlled within the processing equipment efficiency limitations to maintain the required chemical and physical criteria. After washing and screening, the final products – Lump, Fines and DR Lump – are stockpiled on final product stockpiles located at the mine’s railway siding.

The jig plant is capable of processing 650 tons lower grade contact ore per hour. After secondary crushing, the off-grade ore is placed on the feed stockpile at the jig plant. Ore is then pulled from the stockpile for tertiary crushing.

Subsequently, the material is stacked on to Lumpy and Fines jig stockpiles. The ore from these separate stockpiles is then fed into the jig plant, where pulsating water flows into the bed to separate the less dense fraction waste from the denser fraction middling and high quality ore. The waste is dewatered on screens and conveyed to a waste stockpile. The middling and high quality ore is passed over its own dewatering screens before being conveyed to separate conical stockpiles. Feeders beneath these stockpiles combine the products into the desired ratio to produce a beneficiated product ready for blending into the final product.

The final products is then stockpiled onto the same final product stockpiles as the washing plant product.