Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Scattered stoping
- Longhole stoping
- Conventional narrow-reef mining
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Cemented (undefined) backfill
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2029 |
Target 1 is an advanced, single-shaft, deep-level mine. Ore mined is milled and processed at the Target plant, with gold recovered by means of gold cyanide leaching.
Target North The exploration drilling programme from surface advanced and a total of 5 823 metres was drilled during 2023. |
Source:
p. 111
Target is wholly-owned and operated by Harmony.
Contractors
- Subscription is required.
Summary:
Geology
Target is located on the western margin of the Achaean Witwatersrand Gold Basin, which is on the Kaapvaal Craton. The sediments of the Central Rand Group occur within an oval-shaped basin, which has a 160 kilometrelong axis through the Welkom area and Johannesburg, and a short axis of about 80 kilometres. The Central Rand Basin is superimposed on the West Rand Group or Lower Witwatersrand Basin, which has a much larger aerial extent at the centre of the Kaapvaal Craton.
A thrust fault system has resulted in the post-depositional folding of the strata into a synclinal shape. This “border feature” is the western limit of the graben structure, which is some 10 kilometres wide and hosts most of the Welkom gold mines. The eastern limit of this graben is the well-defined De Bron Fault. The Target 1 gold prospect is a northward continuation of the Free State goldfield.
The full potential of the Basal Reef, which produces 85% of the gold from this area, has yet to be established in the Target area because, given time constraints, initial drilling focused on the shallower Elsburg and Kimberley reefs. The reefs in the Aandenk (Kimberley) Formation include the B Reef at the base, the Big Pebble Reef and the A Reef.
The Eldorado (Elsburg) Formation is developed as a sequence of oligomictic auriferous conglomerates referred to as the EA Reefs, which have been mined extensively at the Loraine gold mine. The Elsburg reefs are overlain by a rem ........
Mining Methods
- Scattered stoping
- Longhole stoping
- Conventional narrow-reef mining
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Cemented (undefined) backfill
Summary:
The Target Mine deposit is made up of mineralised multiple reef bands overlying one another. The EA reef is composited into thick packages, whilst the Dreyerskuil reefs are separated into thinner discrete horizons. These differences have led to the application of multiple mining methods.
The Target 1 operation includes a single underground mine constructed as an extension to the Loraine gold mine and uses 1 shaft as access. Target 3 shaft is currently on care and maintenance and serves as a second escape way for Target 1, while Target 5 serves as a ventilation shaft for Target 1 and is situated on the outskirts of Nyakallong township.
The mine has decline systems off the Target 1 shaft, extending 6km to the mining areas, some 2 300m below surface. The mine is essentially a trackless bulk mining operation using conventional labour-intensive methods.
The Target orebody is located some 5km to the north of the original Loraine 1 shaft and is accessed via a 6km-long 12-degree decline developed from level 203 of the vertical shaft system. Initially, the decline was developed to provide a drilling platform for the exploration and evaluation of the orebody but it was later used as the main access for all services, logistics, personnel and the extraction of ore.
The orebody is composed of some 67 individual conglomerates in the Uitkyk (Elsburg) and Van der Heeversrust (Dreyerskuil) members of the upper Eldorado (Elsburg) formation. These ree ........
Source:
Source:
- subscription is required.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
- subscription is required.
Source:
- subscription is required.
Reserves at June 30, 2023:
The NRM Mineral Reserves are reported using a cut-off value of 941cmg/t determined using a gold price of US$1,582/oz. The massive open stoping Mineral Reserves are reported using a cut-off grade of 3.40g/t determined using a gold price of US$1,582/oz.
The Mineral Resources are reported using a cut-off grade of 3.05g/t determined at a 90% profit guidance, and a gold price of US$1,764/oz.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
2.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
4.38 g/t
|
361 koz
|
Probable
|
1.2 Mt
|
Gold
|
4.46 g/t
|
178 koz
|
Proven & Probable
|
3.8 Mt
|
Gold
|
4.4 g/t
|
539 koz
|
Measured
|
7.4 Mt
|
Gold
|
7.13 g/t
|
1,692 koz
|
Indicated
|
5.1 Mt
|
Gold
|
6.41 g/t
|
1,059 koz
|
Inferred
|
4 Mt
|
Gold
|
5.68 g/t
|
739 koz
|
Total Resource
|
16.6 Mt
|
Gold
|
6.55 g/t
|
3,490 koz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
- Subscription is required.
- Subscription is required.