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 channe ........

The Burnstone project has two established access points into the underground workings: a three-legged decline shaft and vertical shaft.

The mine is accessible via an existing decline shaft and an equipped vertical shaft. To access the down-dip extents of the orebody a number of declines have been planned and development is progressing. Underground infrastructure includes the shaft, silos, conveyors, chutes and rock breakers on the main rock handling levels at the shaft, loading boxes in the shaft, workshops, clarification and pumping systems, water dams and electrical reticulation and communication systems. Excavations include pump stations, settlers, declines, horizontal drives and stoping infrastructure. There is a limited fleet of underground trackless mining machines (TMM) including one roof bolter, one dump truck, one development rig, one long hole rig, two LHDs, two graders, utility vehicles, Manitou forklifts, and LDVs. Production and development drilling are by hydropower and power packs.

All surface infrastructure to support the underground mining is in place or has been planned in the LoM with an appropriate capital estimate. The current trackless fleet, which will be used to develop, has been scheduled for replacement or refurbishment in the LoM capital estimate. A mineral processing plant is situated next to the vertical shaft where the bulk of the tonnage will be hoisted. It is currently on care-and-maintenance and will be started after a y ........

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