Name of the Project
Witwatersrand Basin project (WBP).

Location
At the northern edge of the Witwatersrand basin, in the Central Rand Goldfield, immediately south-west of the City of Johannesburg, in Gauteng, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
West Wits Mining Limited (WWI).

Project Description
A scoping study has demonstrated the WBP’s potential to be WWI's cornerstone project as the company aims to become a midtier gold producer.

The scoping study investigated four phased scenarios, based on five development stages.

The fourth scenario has been determined to be the optimal development model, delivering a 27-year mine life, with an estimated 16.1-million tonnes at a run-of-mine (RoM) grade of 3.11 g/t gold for 1.61-million ounces of gold from Stage 1 to 4.

Stage 1 comprises Qala Shallows, which includes an early mining initiative to produce 5 000 t  to 8 500 t a month.

Material to be mined in the early mining initiative is in addition to Qala Shallows production targets stated in the formal mining plan detailed in the September 2021 definitive feasibility study.

Qala Shallows production will be progressively augmented with ore sourced from Stage 2 – Main Reef Package (MRP) and Stage 3 – Bird Reef East (BRE), to increase overall production rates. Once Qala Shallows is depleted, production in that area will continue by starting Stage 4 – Qala Deeps (Deeps), using most of the existing infrastructure established and already funded from Stage 1. Stage 5 (Bird Reef Central) is excluded from the analysis because of its lower recovered grade profile and standalone infrastructure costs.

The MRP, comprising the Main Reef and Main Reef Leader reef bands, will produce 593 000 t at an RoM grade of 3.36 g/t gold for 64 000 oz of additional gold production over years 4 to 7 combined.

The BRE ore will replace the Main Reef tonnage as the Main Reef area is depleted. Development of BRE is scheduled to start in Year 6, with stoping starting in Year 7.

The BRE section will provide 897 000 t at an RoM grade of 3.34 g/t gold for 96 000 oz of additional production over years 6 to 12 combined.

The Deeps is a direct depth extension of the existing Qala Shallows area, from 800 m to 1 500 m below surface. The Deeps section will provide 7.3-million tonnes at an RoM grade of 3.11 g/t gold for 732 000 oz of additional gold production over years 13 to 27 combined.

The WBP has the potential to build up to peak production of more than 92 000 oz/y. The scoping study’s production target averages 79 500 oz from Year 5 to 16 as production reaches steady state from stages 1, 2 and 3.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The scoping study estimates a net present value, at a 7.5% discount rate, of $227-million and an internal rate of return of 33%, with a payback of five years.

Capital Expenditure
The project will require peak funding of $77-million.

Planned Start/End Date
WBP’s early mining initiative at Qala Shallows started in September 2021, with first ore produced in February 2022.

Latest Developments
WWI has started the first phase of drilling to test uranium mineralisation at its uranium exploration target, which forms part of the Bird reef exploration programme at the WBP.

Phase 1 uranium drilling programme is the first of a three-phased diamond drilling initiative aimed at converting the declared Joint Ore Reserves Committee (Jorc) uranium exploration target into an inferred mineral resource.

The first phase of the drilling programme will entail the drilling of three drill holes, each about 120 m deep, in known areas of mineralisation, with the results thereof expected by the end of September.

A further two phases of drilling are planned once the data from the Phase 1 drilling has been analysed.

Phase 2 will follow the zone of mineralisation on the strike and down dip within the mining right area, while Phase 3 drilling is planned to test the continuous nature of the uranium-bearing reef to depths beyond 400 m.

Once Phase 2 is completed, West Wits expects that it will be in a position to convert the exploration target to a Jorc-compliant inferred mineral resource.

After Phases 1 and 2 drilling are completed and the exploration target has been successfully updated to a Jorc-compliant inferred mineral resource, West Wits plans to complete a scoping study to confirm the viability of a standalone uranium mining operation on the Bird Reed Central area.

The scoping study is intended to motivate the third phase, which targets mineralisation below 400 m to test possible continuity of the zone.

Should the scoping study confirm viability, the exploration will be extended to drive towards an indicated mineral resource. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Bara Consulting (scoping study); and Modi Mining (mining contract).

Contact Details for Project Information
West Wits Mining, tel +61 3 8692 9049 or email info@westwitsmining.com.