
July 08, 2025
New Age Exploration (ASX:NAE) is shaping a focused gold exploration story anchored by high-quality assets in tier-one jurisdictions across Western Australia and New Zealand. The company’s strategy is clear: target proven geological corridors and apply modern, cost-efficient exploration methods to uncover new zones of mineralization.
In Western Australia, New Age Exploration’s Wagyu Gold Project sits directly along strike from De Grey Mining’s Hemi discovery, now part of Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST). In New Zealand, its Lammerlaw and Otago Pioneer Quartz projects are positioned within the same regional structure that hosts OceanaGold’s (TSE:OGC) 5 Moz Macraes deposit and Santana Minerals’ (ASX:SMI) fast-growing Rise & Shine system.
The Wagyu Gold Project is New Age Exploration’s flagship asset, located in the highly prospective Central Pilbara region of Western Australia. Positioned between Northern Star’s 11.7 Moz Hemi deposit and the Withnell deposit within the Mallina Basin, Wagyu targets the same intrusive-style orogenic gold system. NAE holds a 136 sq km exploration licence (E47/2974) and has completed extensive early-stage work, including reinterpretation of geophysical data to identify Hemi-style intrusions and structurally hosted gold targets.
Company Highlights
- Pilbara and Otago Exposure: Strategic landholdings in two world-class gold regions – Pilbara (WA) and Otago (NZ) – offering dual discovery potential.
- Hemi-style Intrusion Targets: The Wagyu Gold Project shares geological features and proximity with De Grey Mining’s 11.7 Moz Hemi discovery, increasing the likelihood of a major find.
- High-grade Intercepts: Recent drilling at Wagyu returned standout intercepts including 11.2 g/t gold and 1m @ 15.6 g/t gold.
- Emerging New Zealand Gold Revival: Positioned at the forefront of a regional exploration resurgence in New Zealand’s South Island, supported by rising gold prices and favorable regulatory conditions.
- Strong Cash Position: Recently raised AU$1.96 million to fund ongoing drilling, with multiple near-term catalysts expected.
This New Age Exploration profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
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The Conversation (0)
07 July
New Age Exploration
Investor Insight
As it advances its portfolio of gold assets in Western Australia’s prolific Pilbara gold province and New Zealand’s Otago Schist Belt, New Age Exploration presents a compelling investor value proposition, supported by a lean, discovery-driven strategy and an experienced technical team.
Overview
New Age Exploration (ASX:NAE) is building a pure-play gold exploration story centered on high-quality assets in tier-one jurisdictions in Western Australia and New Zealand. The company’s clear strategy is to operate in geological corridors already proven by major discoveries, while applying modern, cost-effective exploration techniques to define new zones of mineralization.
In Western Australia, the company’s Wagyu gold project is directly along strike from De Grey Mining’s Hemi discovery – now owned by Northern Star Resources (ASX:NST). In New Zealand, its projects - Lammerlaw and Otago Pioneer Quartz – lie within the same regional structure that hosts OceanaGold’s (TSE:OGC) 5 Moz Macraes deposit and Santana Minerals’ (ASX:SMI) rapidly growing Rise & Shine system.
With gold prices hovering at all-time highs, NAE’s approach favours technology-led targeting, rather than brute-force drilling campaigns, by using geophysics, geochemistry and passive seismic to zero in on structurally controlled gold systems with potential for scale.
All its projects are supported by local technical teams and seasoned exploration leadership, allowing concurrent progress and capital-efficient deployment. Recent programs at Wagyu and Lammerlaw have confirmed early-stage discoveries, and both assets are advancing through their next stages of drilling and target definition.
Company Highlights
- Pilbara and Otago Exposure: Strategic landholdings in two world-class gold regions – Pilbara (WA) and Otago (NZ) – offering dual discovery potential.
- Hemi-style Intrusion Targets: The Wagyu Gold Project shares geological features and proximity with De Grey Mining’s 11.7 Moz Hemi discovery, increasing the likelihood of a major find.
- High-grade Intercepts: Recent drilling at Wagyu returned standout intercepts including 11.2 g/t gold and 1m @ 15.6 g/t gold.
- Emerging New Zealand Gold Revival: Positioned at the forefront of a regional exploration resurgence in New Zealand’s South Island, supported by rising gold prices and favorable regulatory conditions.
- Strong Cash Position: Recently raised AU$1.96 million to fund ongoing drilling, with multiple near-term catalysts expected.
Key Projects
Wagyu Gold Project
The Wagyu gold project is New Age Exploration’s flagship asset located in the highly prospective Central Pilbara region of Western Australia. The project is strategically situated between two major gold systems – Northern Star’s Hemi Gold Deposit (11.7 Moz gold resource) and the Withnell deposit – within the Mallina Basin, which hosts a similar intrusive-style orogenic gold mineralizing system. NAE holds exploration license E47/2974, which covers 136 sq km. Since acquiring the project, NAE has conducted extensive early-stage exploration, beginning with the reinterpretation of geophysical datasets, including airborne magnetics, radiometrics and satellite imagery, to delineate potential Hemi-style intrusions and structurally hosted gold targets.
Wagyu gold project location map
The company-initiated fieldwork in April 2024, completing soil sampling, gravity surveys and passive seismic geophysical surveys to refine drill targets. These efforts culminated in an extensive aircore drilling campaign (257 holes, over 7,000 m drilled), which identified a broad, crescent-shaped gold anomaly approximately 1.5 km in strike length. Notable results included intercepts such as 5.3 grams per ton (g/t) gold over 4 m (including 15.6 g/t gold over 1 m) and 2.7 g/t gold over 2 m. Encouraged by these results, the company completed its maiden RC program in March-April 2025, drilling 3,023 m across 33 holes targeting two high-priority gravity anomalies. Assays released in May 2025 confirmed a shallow oxide gold system and evidence of underlying mineralized structures, including 1.26 g/t gold over 5 m from 31 m (WRC029), 1.32 g/t gold over 3 m from 43 m (WRC031), and 1.44 g/t gold over 2 m from 83 m (WRC009). Numerous other holes returned mineralized intervals of 0.5 to 0.8 g/t over broad zones.
Importantly, geological logging and geophysical modeling support the presence of vertical feeder structures, interpreted as potential gold-bearing intrusions and fault-hosted "pipes," similar to Hemi’s discovery model. The Wagyu system remains open in all directions, with multiple untested gravity targets and deeper feeder zones yet to be explored. A follow-up RC campaign is planned for Q3/2025, focused on extending mineralization and chasing those deeper pipe-like structures beneath the supergene blanket.
Lammerlaw Gold and Antimony Project
Lammerlaw permit occurs in the southern limb of a regional fold feature characterised by a change in metamorphic grade from upper greenschist (purple) to lower greenschist (green).
The Lammerlaw gold and antimony project is located in the Otago Schist Belt, a prolific gold-bearing region in the South Island of New Zealand. The project spans 265 sq km and is held under Exploration Permit EP60807. The area is renowned for its historic gold production and geological similarity to OceanaGold’s Macraes Mine, New Zealand’s largest active gold mine with more than 5 Moz in resources. NAE acquired the project through a competitive acreage release and has since completed desktop studies, field mapping and geochemical sampling, which identified multiple 2 to 4 km-long gold-antimony soil anomalies aligned with historical workings.
During 2023-2024, the company identified nine high-priority drill targets based on soil geochemistry (gold, antimony, arsenic, tungsten), historic production data and structural mapping. NAE mobilized a Phase 1 RC drill program in early 2025, designed to test structurally hosted vein systems within both brittle and ductile deformation zones. This work confirmed the presence of gold and antimony mineralization in several targets, though results are still under review. Access to some targets is subject to Department of Conservation approvals, which the company is pursuing concurrently. A Phase 2 drill campaign is planned for Q1/2026, pending access approvals and final interpretation of current results.
Otago Pioneer Quartz Project
Overview of prospects locations within the OPQ Gold Exploration Project.
The Otago Pioneer Quartz (OPQ) project is in Central Otago within the historic Gabriel’s Gully gold district, the epicenter of the 1860s Otago gold rush. The project lies within the same regional schist belt that hosts OceanaGold’s Macraes operation. NAE acquired the OPQ tenement to secure additional exposure to high-grade shear-hosted and orogenic gold systems in the Otago region. The area is characterized by low-sulphide gold quartz veins associated with greenschist facies metamorphic rocks and late-stage brittle faulting.
While still early-stage, the company has conducted preliminary soil sampling and mapping across the tenement to delineate mineralized structures. Historical records suggest significant past production from alluvial and hard-rock sources, though modern exploration has been minimal. Given its proximity to known gold-bearing shear zones and favourable host rocks, OPQ remains a high-priority, low-cost exploration asset for future campaigns.
Going forward, NAE intends to conduct detailed geochemical and structural mapping, followed by scout drilling at known historical workings. The project remains a capital-light optionality play with future drill programs dependent on results from Lammerlaw and Wagyu.
Management Team
Alan Broome – Chairman
Alan Broome is a highly respected figure in the Australian mining industry with more than 40 years of experience across mining, metals and mining technology. A metallurgist by training, Broome has served as chairman and director of numerous ASX-listed and private companies, contributing to significant exploration and development successes. His leadership brings deep strategic insight and a proven track record in guiding discovery-stage companies through to project advancement.
Joshua Wellisch – Executive Director
A capital markets executive with deep ASX and venture experience, Joshua Wellisch leads strategic and operational execution for NAE’s projects. Wellisch is also currently a director of NRG Capital, specialising in capital raisings, corporate structuring and the facilitation of ASX listings and was formerly managing director of Kairos Minerals Limited.
Peter Thompson – Chief Geologist
Appointed in 2025, Peter Thompson brings 35+ years of exploration leadership including stints at Western Mining, Anaconda Nickel, and as CEO of St Barbara. He led redevelopment of Beaconsfield Gold Mine, spearheaded the acquisition, listing and development of the Karlawinda gold deposit and was instrumental in the discovery and advancement of large volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits in Mongolia.
James Pope – Consulting Geologist (NZ)
James Pope is a highly experienced minerals sector professional with nearly 30 years in exploration, consulting and research across a broad range of commodities including gold, PGE, diamonds, base metals, coal and coal seam gas. He currently leads Strata Geoscience, a specialised geoscience consultancy based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Throughout his career, Pope has progressed from hands-on geological mapping and drill site supervision to leading multidisciplinary teams of up to 50 professionals delivering exploration, resource assessment, engineering and environmental services.
Kerry Gordon – Consulting Geologist (NZ)
Kerry Gordon is a seasoned minerals sector professional with nearly 25 years of experience spanning exploration, resource development and operations. He is currently a principal at Strata Geoscience, and has worked across New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and Mongolia on projects involving gold, critical metals (antimony, tungsten), coal, coal seam gas, and conventional petroleum. Gordon is an expert at managing exploration programs in remote and technically demanding environments, with a strong focus on field-based geological techniques, complex drilling and downhole logging operations, and logistical coordination.
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High potential for large-scale discovery in prolific gold regions in Western Australia and New Zealand
05 August
Lammerlaw NZ Maiden Drilling Intersects Gold Mineralisation
New Age Exploration (NAE:AU) has announced Lammerlaw NZ Maiden Drilling Intersects Gold Mineralisation
14 July
Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report
01 July
Completed Sale of Lochinvar Coal Project and Royalty Deed
New Age Exploration (NAE:AU) has announced Completed Sale of Lochinvar Coal Project and Royalty Deed
26 May
NAE New Gold System Emerging at Wagyu Pilbara WA
15h
Gold Price Rises as Powell Boosts Rate Cut Expectations in Jackson Hole Speech
Citing a shifting economic situation in the US, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated that the central bank is ready to adjust interest rates during his speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium.
Powell indicated that the Fed’s dual mandate goal is essentially in balance, saying the labor market remains close to maximum employment and that inflation has eased from post-pandemic highs, although it remain elevated.
However, the Fed head also noted that “the balance of risks appears to be shifting,” with significant uncertainty in the economy as a result of higher tariffs, tighter immigration and a slowdown in the pace of growth in the labor market.
“Over the longer run, changes in tax, spending, and regulatory policies may also have important implications for economic growth and productivity,” Powell added in his Friday (August 22) address.
The biggest challenge for the Fed is maintaining its dual mandate of ensuring too much slack doesn’t enter the labor market, which Powell said could happen quickly, while also attempting to ease inflation to the target 2 percent.
In an email to the Investing News Network (INN), Blerina Uruci, chief economist with T. Rowe Price, suggested that the unemployment rate, rather than the employment rate, may be a key indicator that dictates the Fed's direction.
“A material slowing in employment growth may not be a signal that the economy is entering a downturn, but a symptom of structural shifts in the economy. For this reason, Powell and others in the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) have pointed to the unemployment rate as a more useful indicator of the health of the labor market,” she said.
Although tariffs are likely to take some months to work their way through the economy, with Powell suggesting there is still high uncertainty, he also indicated that “the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance.”
His remarks are in line with analysts' expectations of a 25 basis point cut to the benchmark rate in September.
“The FOMC will vote to cut rates by 25 basis points in September and cut 50 basis points in total this year. With regards to the next meeting, we could get a hawkish outcome (no cut) if inflation surprises significantly to the upside and or the labor market rebounds sharply,” Uruci commented to INN. She also suggested that the Fed could make a more dovish 50 basis point cut if August payroll growth slows below 50,000 per month and unemployment increases.
In 2024, the Fed made three cuts: a 50 basis point cut in September, followed by two 25 basis point cuts in October and November. So far, it has not made reductions in 2025; however, it faced dissent from two committee members at its July meeting, the first time more than one member has voted against the committee since December 1993.
The gold price jumped following Powell’s remarks on Friday, gaining nearly 1 percent in morning trading, reaching US$3,370 per ounce by 1:00 p.m. EDT. Silver rose more than 2 percent to hit US$38.94 per ounce.
Equity markets were also in positive territory during morning trading.
The S&P 500 (INDEXSP:INX) climbed 1.49 percent to 6,465 points, and the Nasdaq 100 (INDEXNASDAQ:NDX) rose 1.48 percent to 23,485 points. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEXDJX:.DJI) surged 2 percent to trade in record territory at 45,687 points.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
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16h
OPINION — Goldenomics 104: Trump’s Tariffs and Gold
This opinion piece was submitted to the Investing News Network (INN) by Darren Brady Nelson, who is an external contributor. INN believes it may be of interest to readers and has copy edited the material to ensure adherence to the company’s style guide; however, INN does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported by external contributors. The opinions expressed by external contributors do not reflect the opinions of INN and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
By Darren Brady Nelson
One of former President Ronald Reagan’s most famous quotes is “trust, but verify.” He made that remark on December 8, 1987, to then-Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev as the audience gathered on that historic day for a nuclear arms treaty.
In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s April “Liberation Day” tariffs, it is time once again to “trust, but verify.” That is, that the economy is still on track for a new “golden age of America.” And that we will continue in a “golden age,” pun intended, for investing in gold.
Source: the White House.
Tariffs are not inflation
Trump’s tariffs have added to uncertainty, but they are not inflationary per se. The famous Nobel Prize-winning monetary economist, Milton Friedman, summarized what he had learned from the most comprehensive empirical study ever undertaken on inflation in the following quote:
“Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon in the sense that it is and can be produced only by a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output. A steady rate of monetary growth at a moderate level [may allow] little inflation and much growth.”
Another monetary economist of the 20th century, but not quite as famous as Friedman, was Ludwig von Mises. He agreed with the first half of the quote above, but not the second. He also supported a gold standard, as seen below, as protection from inflation and accompanying boom-bust cycles:
“All economic activity is based upon an uncertain future. It is therefore bound up with risk.” Thus: “There is no such thing as a safe investment.” But: “The…gold standard alone is a truly effective check on the power of the government to inflate the currency.”
Tariffs are just taxes
A student of Mises was Murray Rothbard. The latter wrote in Power and Market that the burden of a sales tax falls entirely on the supplier and supply chain, not the consumers, yet tariffs inexplicably do the opposite. The former is closer to the truth, depending on elasticities.
Media pundits often claim that businesses pass forward tax increases, like tariffs, to consumers. This is a half-truth. The other half of this half-truth is that businesses take a hit, so that they invest and hire less. This means foreign businesses, more than American consumers.
And rather than just a 50/50 split between supply and demand, as per the graph below, economics and history show it is more like an 80/20 situation. That 80 includes a pass backward in the supply chain. This means foreign supply chains, more than American supply chains.
Source: SlidePlayer.
Rationale for Trump’s tariffs
Trump’s tariffs have created extra uncertainty, but not nearly as much as the neoliberals, on the left or right, would suggest by their outrage and alarm. Firstly, imports and import elasticities are relatively low in the US.
Secondly, Trump’s strategy is consistent with the same three exceptions to free trade, and in the same order, as did the classical liberal, and godfather of free trade economics, Adam Smith.
The first exception is not only about directly decoupling from communist China, for targeted defense purposes, but also indirectly, for broader strategic purposes, by weakening the Communist Party of China to the point of regime change, as Reagan did to the USSR.
The second and third exceptions, of reciprocity and retaliation, are part of the “art of the deal.” This three-pronged strategy, despite the outcry as being anti-free trade, is not only trying to put America first, but also to restore genuine free trade. It is a well-calculated risk.
Impact of these tariffs
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in its press release of July 17: “Import prices ticked up 0.1% in June, following a decrease of 0.4% in May, and an advance of 0.1% in April.”
The BLS added that: “Prices for US imports fell 0.2% from June 2024 to June 2025, matching the 12- month decline for the year ended May 2025. Those were the largest annual decreases since the index fell 0.9% for the year ended February 2024.”
The BLS also provided an interactive chart of the Import Price Index (IPI). Highlights from the Trump 47 era for “all imports” include: IPI increased, but at a declining rate, by 1.7 percent in February, 0.8 percent in March and 0.1 percent in April; then decreased by -0.2 percent in May and -0.2 percent in June.
“Consumer goods” are also illuminating: IPI dropped from 1.2 percent in November 2024 to -0.8 percent in March 2025; then sunk further to -1.2 percent in May before rising to -0.6 percent in June, but still negative.
The story with “industrial supplies and materials” was that: IPI grew at 5.7 percent in February, then plunged to 1.9 percent in March; followed by shrinking down into negative territory of -2 percent in April, -3.6 percent in May and -3.2 percent in June.
Source: BLS.
Conclusion
Many Main Street investors, and even those on Wall Street, are aware that gold is a great hedge against both inflation and uncertainty; and it is. But few on either streets also know that it is a great investment that outperforms the S&P Index; and it does.
Gold is very rare indeed, and not just in terms of its physical scarcity, but in its unique ability to be both a safe-haven investment and a performance investment as well. The two charts at the end demonstrate gold’s protection and gold’s growth over the decades.
Therefore, for American investors it is still the right time to “trust” in gold growth to come, “but verify” through gold protection in the meantime. Thus, when one has gold, “heads” you win and “tails” you don’t lose.
About Darren Brady Nelson
Darren Brady Nelson is chief economist with Fisher Liberty Gold and policy advisor to The Heartland Institute. He previously was economic advisor to Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts. He authored the Ten Principles of Regulation and Reform, and the CPI-X approach to budget cuts.
Read the rest of the series: Goldenomics 101: Follow the Money, Goldenomics 102: The Shadow Price of Gold, Goldenomics 103: Gold Protects and Performs.
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21 August
Alice Queen: Exploring High-grade Epithermal Gold with Near-term Production Potential
Alice Queen (ASX:AQX) is a gold exploration company focused on district-scale discoveries and near-term production opportunities. Its flagship asset is the Viani Gold Project in Fiji, where early drilling indicates a major epithermal gold system, comparable to other systems along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Fiji itself hosts the 10 Moz Vatukoula Gold Mine, underscoring the region’s proven prospectivity. With a portfolio spanning both the Pacific Ring of Fire and Australia’s most prolific gold belts, Alice Queen combines strong geological potential with strategic access to capital.
The company’s secondary asset, Horn Island, hosts over half a million ounces of gold in a JORC-compliant resource. A 2021 scoping study indicated an NPV of more than AU$500 million, based on an internal update using AU$5,000/oz gold. Ongoing discussions with development partners aim to unlock value from this project, which has the potential to generate over AU$800 million in free cash flow across an eight-year mine life.
Alice Queen’s shareholder base is anchored by Gage Resource Development (51 percent) and supported by significant, well-funded Australian investors with a long-term outlook. The company is advancing a balanced strategy focused on drilling success, strategic partnerships, and asset-level monetization.
Company Highlights
- High-impact Discovery at Viani in Fiji: Drilling at the Viani project has confirmed a significant low-sulphidation epithermal gold system with mineralization over a ~5 km strike, with assay results from recent drilling expected imminently.
- Established Gold Resource at Horn Island: The Horn Island project hosts a 524,000 oz JORC-compliant gold resource and is being advanced through potential development partnerships, offering near-term monetization opportunities.
- Strategic Financial Backing: Backed by major shareholder Gage Resource Development, a subsidiary of Beijing-based Gage Capital (US$1.6 billion AUM), ensuring access to growth capital and long-term support.
- Exceptional Leadership: Led by a highly experienced management team with a successful track record in global business and resource development.
This Alice Queen Limited profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with Alice Queen (ASX:AQX) to receive an Investor Presentation
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21 August
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21 August
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