Otago hosts a world-class hard-rock gold district within the ancient, deformed meta-sediments of the Otago Schist Belt. Gold mineralisation is structurally controlled, driven by widespread Cretaceous-age hydrothermal systems that deposited gold and fine sulphides along major regional fault and shear zones. Unlike small, narrow high-grade vein systems, the regional architecture of the Otago Schist favours broad, persistent structural corridors. This creates large, continuous volumes of mineralised rock capable of supporting both large-tonnage open pit and underground mining operations.
The economic viability of the Otago Schist Belt is proven by major multi-million ounce operations. OceanaGold’s long-running Macraes Mine – anchored in the 35 km long Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone – has a historic production and resource inventory exceeding 10 million ounces. Complementing this, Santana Minerals recently discovered Bendigo-Ophir Project, hosted in the Rise and Shine Shear Zone, has established a total mineral resource of over 2.3 million ounces to date.
These major deposit footprints demonstrate that the Otago Schist hosts highly productive metallogenic belts that remain under-explored with modern techniques. The presence of predictable, wide, shallow- to moderately-dipping shear zones provides clear geometric models for targeting new gold discoveries. The district clearly offers the scale and structural continuity required to host the region’s next generation of major gold discoveries.
Central Gold’s exploration team and office are based in Dunedin, Otago, providing ready and close access to the goldfields. The local team predominately consist of Otago University graduates who bring extensive knowledge of exploring throughout the region.
Building on geological knowledge from the Hyde-Macraes and Bendigo-Ophir gold systems, the team is working to better constrain the position of regional-scale shear structures that host gold mineralisation, within the corridor between these two known gold systems.
To date, over 2200 soil samples and 300 rock samples have been collected, and the regional exploration program has covered more than 50km of ridgeline with systematic mapping and sampling. Field work on a regional scale is ongoing.
Passive seismic surveying in collaboration with Earth Science New Zealand, has provided additional information about the subsurface geology to support the exploration program.
To date, over 2200 and 300 rock samples have been collected, and the regional exploration program has covered more than 50km of ridgeline with systematic mapping and sampling. Field work at the prospect-and-regional-scale is ongoing.
