The gold mineralization exploited by Target 3 is contained within the Basal Reef, B Reef, A Reef (Kimberly Formation) and Elsburg Reef, a succession of Elsburg a pebble conglomerate reefs hosted by the Van Heeverrust (Eldorado Formation). Synclinal fold forms the major structural feature and is manifested as an asymmetric syncline whose axis trends N 15° W, with a general plunge of 10 12° north.

At Target 3 Shaft there remains a mix of remnant ore blocks including shaft pillar blocks where scattered mining can be exploited, and a number of areas of virgin ground where conventional mining can take place, with the potential to exploit zone 3 in the Freddies 9 Shaft area.

During fiscal 2015 the operation was placed on care and maintenance. This decision was taken based on the financial performance of the operation and the future capital that was required to extend the life of the mine.

Ore mined is processed at the Target plant.

Target Gold Plant was designed and commissioned in November 2001 to treat ore from Target 1 Shaft. The plant was designed to treat a 105 000 tons per month with a potential to expand to 160 000 tons for future demand. Currently, the plant treats ore from Target 1 shaft, Target 3 shaft, and waste dump with the majority being from Target 1 shaft and Target 3 shaft material. The plant was recently modified by installing a run of mine mill (ROM) to replace the two stage milling circuit, due to steel ball costs.

Ore is treated by run of mine milling, with part of the mill product directed to the gravity concentrator to recover the gravity recoverable gold which is then leached through the Intense Leach Reactor, followed by electrowinning and gold smelting using induction furnace. The other mill product is directed to the thickener for densification, followed by leaching through 6 of the 7 mechanical agitated leach tanks. The leached ore gravitates to the Carbon In Pulp (CIP) circuit, where activated carbon is added from the last tank. The pulp moves downstream while the carbon moves upstream. Loaded carbon is then removed from the first adsorption tank and pumped to the elution circuit. Carbon is then acid washed with hydrochloric acid and eluted with a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium cyanide. Gold is recovered from the elution solution using electrowinning cells. The electrowinning sludge is dried and smelted in the induction furnace and then dispatched to Rand Refinery for refining. The eluted carbon is pumped to the regeneration kiln and then to the CIP circuit. The tailings from the CIP circuit are screened to remove fine carbon and then pumped to the tailings dam for storage. The plant uses potable water, return water from tailings dams and water from Target 1 shaft.