Beatrix is a deep level underground gold mine located along the northern and southwestern margins of the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa. This mine is typical of the many Witwatersrand Basin operations, which have been the primary contributors to South Africa’s production of a significant portion of the world’s recorded gold output since 1886.

The orebodies at Beatrix are laterally continuous with relatively long-range predictability. This lends to clear patterns of mineralisation governed by sedimentary characteristics.

The Beatrix Reef (BR) was originally exploited as the main orebody, but has since changed, with the main production coming from the VS5 (Elsburg Formation), the Aandenk (AAR) and Kalkoenkrans (KKR) Composite Reefs.

In general, the Composite VS5/AAR Reefs ranges between 130cm and 350cm in width. The orebody is shallow dipping at 10º – 15º, with typical open fold structures. In most cases the reefs are deemed to be bottom loaded, with most of the gold grade concentrated along the basal contact.

The Beatrix operation exploits two primary reefs, namely the VS5/Beatrix reefs (VS5/BXR) at the base of the Eldorado Formation and the Kalkoenkrans Reef / Aandenk Reef (KKR / AAR) at the base of the Aandenk Formation.The orebodies are laterally continuous with relatively long-range predictability. This leads to clear patterns of mineralisation governed by sedimentary characteristics. The VS5/BXR forms the bulk of the planned mining at 75% with the remaining 25% mined from No. 4 Shaft on the KKR/AAR.

Beatrix, a shallow to intermediate-depth operation, mining at depths of between 700m and 2,200m below surface, exploits the Beatrix Reef at shafts 1 and 3, and the Kalkoenkrans Reef at 4 Shaft.

Three vertical shaft systems are in place to provide access to the underground workings from surface. No. 1 and No. 3 Shafts to the south at the main mine site are situated close to the operational metallurgical plant. No. 4 Shaft is situated approximately 10km away and has its own No. 2 Plant which is currently on care-and-maintenance. Material is trucked from No. 4 Shaft to the main mine site. Beatrix No. 3 Shaft and Kloof No. 4 Shaft are equipped with gravity hydropower drilling systems. In the case of Beatrix, this is boosted by surface pumps. Where mining continues below the current infrastructure, declines or winzes are developed for access.

The underground development is extensive and most of the development is already in place to support the current ........

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