New Age Exploration Hits 26m at 1.66g/t Gold in Macraes-Style Shear Zone at Bella
Key Takeaways
- Hole LAMRC015 at the Bella Prospect returned three stacked mineralised intervals — 6m @ 1.8 g/t Au, 11m @ 4.5 g/t Au (including 1m @ 19 g/t), and 26m @ 1.66 g/t Au — confirming both vein-style and shear-hosted gold mineralisation in a single drill hole.
- The 26m @ 1.66 g/t Au shear-hosted interval confirms "Macraes-style" orogenic gold mineralisation at Bella, the same geological style responsible for one of New Zealand's largest gold mines.
- Mineralisation at Bella is open in multiple directions, with Phase 3 drill targets defined immediately west toward the historic Bella Mine (which ceased production in 15 g/t Au ore) and south toward the intersection of both mineralisation styles.
- The Lammerlaw Mineral Trend extends more than 5 km along strike and remains largely under-explored, with integrated geology, geochemistry, and geophysics generating district-scale drill targets beyond the Bella Prospect.
- A third tranche of Phase 2 assay results is due September 2026, with Phase 3 drilling planned for Q3 2026 — two near-term catalysts on a defined timeline.
Widespread gold mineralisation confirmed across Bella Prospect and Lammerlaw Trend
New Age Exploration reports a second tranche of assay results from 13 RC and diamond drillholes completed as part of the Phase 2 (2026) drilling programme at the Bella Prospect, Lammerlaw Gold-Antimony Project, Otago, New Zealand. The results confirm a large, continuous alteration and gold mineralisation footprint across Bella and the broader Lammerlaw Mineral Trend (LMT). The standout intercept remains hole LAMRC015 (previously announced 30 June 2026): 26m @ 1.66 g/t Au — a shear-hosted interval that confirms “Macraes-style” gold mineralisation at Bella. The project is 100% owned (MEP 60807), located in Otago, and early-stage exploration momentum is building at a district-scale target.
When big ASX news breaks, our subscribers know first
Bella Prospect delivers standout gold intercepts
The anchor result from the Phase 2 programme is hole LAMRC015, which delivered two distinct styles of mineralisation. Vein-style mineralisation returned 6m @ 1.8 g/t Au (8–14m) and 11m @ 4.5 g/t Au (27–38m, including 1m @ 19 g/t). Below that, shear-hosted mineralisation returned 26m @ 1.66 g/t Au (54–78m). This confirms “Macraes-style” shear-hosted gold mineralisation at Bella — though the Macraes deposit is cited for geological context only and does not imply a deposit of similar size, grade, or economic potential at Lammerlaw. No Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve has been defined.
Kirby Johnson, CEO
“Lammerlaw is an exciting new opportunity for NAE. Three key messages: LAMRC015 at Bella is heavily mineralised, including ‘Macraes-style’ shear-hosted gold mineralisation. Secondly, Bella is wide open — and we will be drilling immediately to the south and west. And finally, the discovery at Bella ‘lights up’ the potential for the entire Lammerlaw Mineral Trend.”
Drill results table (Tranche 2)
Most of the 13 new holes returned no significant result (NSR) or halo-grade mineralisation only. The value in these results is confirming the alteration footprint and system scale, not high grades in every hole. Selected significant intercepts (0.5ppm cut-off) are shown below:
| Hole ID | Depth From (m) | Interval (m) | Au (g/t) | Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAMRC015 | 8 | 6 | 1.8 | Vein-style |
| LAMRC015 | 27 | 11 | 4.5 (incl. 1m @ 19) | Vein-style |
| LAMRC015 | 54 | 26 | 1.66 | Shear-hosted |
| LAMRC014 | 22 | 2 | 0.35 | — |
Bella remains wide open with drilling planned
Mineralisation at Bella is open in multiple directions, and the company has identified high-priority drill targets immediately adjacent to LAMRC015. Extension targets include, with drill testing of these targets planned for Q3 2026:
- Westward — toward the high-grade historic Bella Mine
- Southward — targeting the intersection of high-grade vein-style and shear-hosted mineralisation
The historic Bella Mine, which lies along strike of the current drilling, provides further support for the scale of the mineralised system. Mining ceased while the mine was still in high-grade mineralisation, with recorded grades of 15 g/t Au at shallow depths. This is historic context — not a result from NAE’s drilling — but it supports the near-surface, high-grade potential of the broader system.
Understanding orogenic gold and the Lammerlaw Mineral Trend
The Lammerlaw Mineral Trend (LMT) is a tectonic-stratigraphic package that hosts orogenic gold mineralisation — the same style of gold deposit found at the Macraes mine in northeast Otago. What makes the LMT a district-scale opportunity is its size and under-explored footprint:
- A tectonic package up to 100m thick
- Extends more than 5 km along strike
- Hosts gold, antimony, tungsten, and associated mineralisation
Two mineralisation styles are present. Shear-hosted mineralisation occurs where gold is disseminated through broad zones of altered schist within major shear zones. Vein-style mineralisation occurs as discrete quartz veins with visible gold and high grades over narrow widths. Both styles are present at Bella, and both have been mined historically across the LMT.
The Lammerlaw-Waipori area was ground zero of the Central Otago Gold Rush that began in 1861. Hundreds of historic alluvial and hard-rock workings dot the region, and Otago still produces gold today. For investors, the key takeaway is that NAE is exploring a large, under-explored district-scale footprint with multiple future drill targets. This is early-stage exploration upside — no Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve has been defined.
The next major ASX story will hit our subscribers first
What comes next for NAE
The company has a clear near-term catalyst pipeline and a roadmap for scaling the Bella discovery:
- Third and final tranche of Phase 2 assay results expected September 2026.
- Phase 3 drill planning underway — Bella targets immediately west and south of LAMRC015.
- LMT-wide drill targets generated by integrated geology, geochemistry (soils, rock chips), regional geophysics (EM, magnetics), and old workings.
NAE offers a pipeline of upcoming results and a scalable district-scale target. The caveat remains: this is early-stage exploration, and no Mineral Resource or Ore Reserve has been defined. NAE’s broader portfolio includes the Wagyu Gold Project in Western Australia and the Wallah Silver Project in New South Wales, providing additional exploration exposure beyond Lammerlaw.
Want the Next ASX Gold Discovery in Your Inbox?
Join 30,000+ investors receiving FREE breaking ASX gold news within minutes of release, complete with in-depth analysis. Click the “Free Alerts” button at Discovery Alert to get real-time alerts the moment market-moving announcements drop—before the rest of the market reacts.