Critical Resources Unveils Key Targets at Lammerlaw Gold Project
Critical Resources Limited has identified three priority targets at its Lammerlaw Gold Project in New Zealand, validating the area’s gold potential ahead of permit approval and outlining a cost-effective exploration strategy.
- Three priority targets defined: Devils Creek, Stony Creek, TZ3–TZ4 Structural Boundary
- Strong evidence of orogenic gold system with tungsten and antimony pathfinders
- Low-cost, staged exploration planned pending NZP&M permit transfer
- Lammerlaw complements flagship Cap Burn Gold Project in Central Otago
- Historic workings and modern geophysics support structural gold mineralisation
Exploration Potential Confirmed at Lammerlaw
Critical Resources Limited (ASX:CRR) has completed a comprehensive desktop study over its Lammerlaw Gold Project in New Zealand’s Central Otago region, reinforcing the project’s prospectivity for orogenic gold mineralisation. This detailed review comes ahead of the anticipated transfer approval of the prospecting permit by New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals (NZP&M), a key regulatory milestone for the company.
The Lammerlaw project, covering approximately 410 square kilometres, lies within a structurally complex and historically gold-rich corridor of the Otago Schist Belt. The area is geologically analogous to the nearby Macraes gold camp, which hosts over 10 million ounces of gold, and benefits from a setting known to localise shear-hosted gold deposits.
Three Priority Targets Identified
The desktop study has delineated three high-priority targets: Devils Creek, Stony Creek, and the TZ3–TZ4 Structural Boundary. Devils Creek stands out as the most advanced historic hard rock gold prospect, with evidence of past mining including adits, pits, and trenches. Modern interpretation of aerial imagery and LiDAR data has enabled the mapping of a coherent mineralised lode, providing a clear framework for follow-up exploration.
Stony Creek presents a compelling multi-commodity target, characterised by historic antimony workings and tungsten anomalies up to 710 ppm. The presence of these pathfinder elements, combined with a distinct electromagnetic geophysical signature, suggests structurally controlled mineralisation that has not been systematically explored with modern techniques.
The TZ3–TZ4 Structural Boundary represents a significant geological contact within the Otago Schist Belt, interpreted as a rheological contrast zone that may localise shear zones and fluid pathways conducive to gold mineralisation. While still conceptual, this target adds depth and optionality to the exploration portfolio.
Strategic Exploration Approach
Critical Resources plans a staged, low-cost exploration program focused initially on surface validation. Activities will include ground reconnaissance, mapping, and targeted geochemical sampling to confirm structural trends and geochemical anomalies. This approach aims to efficiently prioritise targets before committing to more intensive drilling campaigns.
Importantly, Lammerlaw complements the company’s flagship Cap Burn Gold Project, located about 50 kilometres to the northeast. Together, these projects enhance Critical Resources’ footprint in the Central Otago gold province, a region experiencing renewed exploration success and underpinned by a proven geological model.
Managing Director Tim Wither emphasised the strategic value of Lammerlaw, stating that the desktop study validated the initial acquisition decision and provided a solid foundation for systematic exploration. The company is now positioned to advance Lammerlaw rapidly once the permit transfer is approved.
Bottom Line?
With permit approval pending, Critical Resources is poised to unlock Lammerlaw’s gold potential through disciplined, targeted exploration.
Questions in the middle?
- When will NZP&M approve the permit transfer for Lammerlaw?
- What initial assay results will surface sampling at Devils Creek and Stony Creek yield?
- How will Lammerlaw’s exploration outcomes influence capital allocation between it and Cap Burn?
