Lammerlaw Drilling Yields 6m at 0.65g/t Gold with Elevated Tungsten and Arsenic
New Age Exploration’s first drilling campaign at Lammerlaw has intersected promising shear zone-hosted gold mineralisation, echoing the renowned Macraes deposit style. The results validate their exploration approach and set the stage for further resource definition.
- Maiden RC drilling confirms shear zone gold mineralisation at Lammerlaw
- Best intercept, 6m at 0.65g/t Au including 2m at 1.05g/t Au
- Elevated tungsten and arsenic support Macraes-style mineralisation model
- Multiple holes show anomalous gold with pathfinder elements
- Next drilling planned to test extensions and higher-grade shoots
Exploration Breakthrough at Lammerlaw
New Age Exploration Limited (ASX – NAE) has announced encouraging results from its maiden Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program at the Lammerlaw Gold Project in New Zealand. The five-hole, 458-metre campaign successfully intersected shear zone-hosted gold mineralisation within fresh schist, bearing strong geological similarities to the Macraes gold deposit, New Zealand’s largest gold mine.
The standout intercept came from drill hole LAM RC13, which returned 6 metres at 0.65 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 92 metres depth, including a higher-grade 2-metre section at 1.05 g/t. This mineralisation is hosted in muscovite-rich, graphite-bearing schist and is accompanied by elevated tungsten and arsenic levels, classic pathfinder elements associated with Macraes-style orogenic gold systems.
Validating a Targeting Strategy
NAE’s exploration strategy focused on the southern limb of the Otago antiform structure, a regional geological feature that mirrors the setting of the Macraes deposit on the northern limb. The company’s systematic approach combined detailed mapping, soil geochemistry, and geophysical surveys designed to penetrate the loess cover and identify hard rock mineralisation trends.
Additional drill holes also intersected anomalous gold grades ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 g/t, with coincident arsenic, tungsten, and antimony anomalies reinforcing the presence of a coherent mineralised system. These findings confirm the continuity of mineralised trends beneath historic workings and weathered zones, supporting the geological model underpinning NAE’s exploration thesis.
Early Stage but Promising
While the grades reported are modest, they are consistent with early-stage Macraes-style deposits and provide a compelling foundation for further work. Executive Director Joshua Wellisch highlighted the significance of the results, noting that the drilling intersected exactly what the company set out to find within its first 500 metres of drilling.
He emphasized the next phase will focus on targeting potential higher-grade shoots and expanding drilling along strike to advance towards defining a maiden resource. The Lammerlaw project, with its geological scale and setting, holds promise as a significant gold system, though it remains at an early exploration stage with no defined Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve yet.
Looking Ahead
NAE plans to continue interpreting the recent drilling results and sampling, while preparing for subsequent drilling campaigns to test remaining targets within the permit area. The company aims to delineate the extent of the shear zone-hosted mineralisation and explore for zones of higher-grade mineralisation that could underpin future resource growth.
Given the historical context of gold mining in the region dating back to the 19th century, combined with modern exploration techniques, NAE’s progress at Lammerlaw represents a meaningful step forward in unlocking the potential of this underexplored part of the Otago Schist belt.
Bottom Line?
NAE’s Lammerlaw drilling confirms a promising Macraes-style gold system, setting the stage for resource definition and further exploration.
Questions in the middle?
- Will subsequent drilling identify higher-grade shoots within the shear zone?
- How extensive is the continuity of mineralisation along the Otago antiform’s southern limb?
- What timeline does NAE envision for advancing from exploration to resource declaration?
