Rock Chip Assays Hit 12.1g/t Gold as Uvre Advances Drilling in NZ Goldfields

Strong Early Signals from New Zealand Gold Projects

Uvre Limited (ASX, UVA) has released promising exploration results from its New Zealand gold assets, highlighting high-grade rock chip assays that reinforce the potential of its Waitekauri and Oturehua projects. The assays, reaching up to 11 grams per tonne (g/t) gold near the Scotia prospect at Waitekauri and 12.1 g/t at Oturehua’s historic Golden Progress Mine, suggest these brownfields projects could host significant gold mineralisation.

Located in prolific goldfields on New Zealand’s North and South Islands, these projects benefit from proximity to established mines. Waitekauri lies just 8 kilometres west of OceanaGold’s Waihi mine, a major operation with over 12 million ounces of gold produced, while Oturehua sits within the Otago Goldfields, a region with a rich mining history.

Drilling Advances at Waitekauri’s Scotia South Prospect

Uvre’s maiden drilling campaign at Waitekauri is progressing steadily, with the first diamond drill hole at Scotia South surpassing 200 metres depth. This hole targets a previously untested epithermal quartz structure, a geological setting known to host high-grade gold veins. A second hole is scheduled to commence shortly at the nearby Scotia prospect, aiming to test the depth extensions beneath historic workings.

The company’s strategy focuses on identifying bonanza-style gold-silver veins within an 18-kilometre mineralised corridor that hosts multiple multi-million-ounce deposits. The recent rock chip results validate this approach, confirming the presence of high-grade mineralisation at surface and supporting the ongoing drilling program.

Oturehua Project, Unlocking Historic High-Grade Gold

At Oturehua, rock chip sampling around the Golden Progress Mine has returned outstanding gold grades, with assays up to 12.1 g/t. Historical mining focused on easily recoverable supergene-enriched gold, leaving deeper primary mineralisation largely unexploited due to metallurgical challenges and operational constraints in the early 20th century.

Uvre plans to commence exploration activities at Oturehua’s Golden Progress site later this year, with a maiden drilling program anticipated in the first half of 2026. This initiative aims to delineate the extent of mineralisation and assess the potential for a new resource in a region known for its high-grade orogenic gold deposits.

Well-Funded to Accelerate Exploration

With approximately $5.4 million in cash reserves, Uvre is well-positioned to fast-track its exploration programs across its New Zealand portfolio. The company’s focus remains on advancing its flagship Waitekauri project while progressing brownfields opportunities at Oturehua and Invincible in the Otago Goldfields.

Executive Chairman Brett Mitchell emphasised the significance of the recent results, stating they confirm the presence of high-grade mineralisation and validate the company’s exploration strategy. The ongoing drilling and sampling campaigns will be critical in defining the scale and quality of the gold systems present.

As Uvre continues to unlock the potential of these historically productive goldfields, the market will be watching closely for assay results from the current drilling and subsequent resource updates.