Burnstone lies within the Witwatersrand Basin and Archaean (2.7 billion year-old) sedimentary basin. The Basin is filled with approximately 14,000m sedimentary and subordinate volcanic rocks, which have been folded along a north east to south-west axis into an asymmetrical synclinorium. The sediments consist mainly of quartzites and shales and less prevalent, but generally economically important, gold-bearing conglomeratic zones, which occur on regional unconformities. These are commonly referred to as reefs or placers.

Burnstone is located in the South Rand Basin, a subsidiary of the main Witwatersrand Basin. The gold-bearing target UK9 Reef of the Kimberley Formation, occurs in the Central Rand Group of rocks. This reef lies between the outcrop and a depth of 1,300m below surface in the mining right area. Structurally, the project area is located on the northern limb of the arcuate South Rand Basin, which is locally deformed by a east-north-east-plunging anticline and cut by east-west and north-south normal faults, formed in response to the stress regime corresponding to the main structural feature of the region, which is the east-west striking Sugarbush Fault. This fault is a left-lateral wrench fault, which comprises the northern boundary of the South Rand Basin at this point.

Shallow gold deposit exploiting the UK9a Reef of the Kimberley Formation, Central Rand Group, Witwatersrand Supergroup.

The UK9a Reef is a thin (<1m), highly channelised, shallow dipping (<10º) orebody. The minimum mining cut includes waste to a total of 110cm.

Shallow underground mining project with two established shaft complexes (one vertical and one decline shaft).

Conventional selective scattered breast mining with scraper cleaning and mechanised footwall infrastructure.


Mining Kimberly reef to an average depth of 550m (deepest 1.05km)

One CIL gold processing plant