Rua Gold Inc. (TSXV: RUA) (OTCQB: NZAUF) (WKN: A40QYC) (“Lua Gold“Or “Company”) provides the latest information on Gold Antimony exploration at the Auld Creek project in Reefton Goldfield, New Zealand’s South Island, reporting an even higher quality Gold Antimony intersection, 120 meters below the current resource estimate.
Highlights:
- Auld Creek has estimated resources hosted by two ore shoots, Bonanza and Fraternal. This resource exposes surface outcrops. Modern drilling increases the vertical range of resources from 160m to 280m, leaving them open at depths.
- Follow the recommended high grade gold anti-ground results from Drillholes ACDDH026-028. Hole ACDDH030-33 intersected previously reported strong gold belt (anti-sulfide sulfide) mineralization continuity with excellent high grade mineralization.
- The results of the assay are shown as follows:
- ACDDH031: 2.1M @ 64.0G/T AUEQ1 (5.5g/t au and 13.1%sb) From 310m depth
- ACDDH032: 2m from 296m depth @ 1.4g/t au
- The current drilling tests the prospects north of the brothers and prospects northeast of Bonanza. There, surface soil geochemistry has been confirmed to be traceable over a length of 2.5km.
- Second quarter drilling will investigate further in depth and test its range south, with the goal of growing current resources.
- Antimony is in the rise in demand due to its important role in renewable energy, batteries, defense, and technology. Its supply is insufficient and largely managed by China, Russia and Tajikistan, making it a strategic material, especially amidst geopolitical tensions, so prices range from USD 11,350 to over USD 60,000.
Rua Gold CEO Robert Eckford commented. “This is an exciting development to see the mineralization of high quality gold antimony at Auld Creek 120m deeper than current resources. Proving continuity at depth and growing this resource will be a key focus for drilling in the next quarter, while simultaneously drilling Cumberland Garland deposits south.
We continue to focus on expanding Auld Creek’s resources both in the north, south and deep, with enhanced surface exploration showing an early commitment to identifying additional mineralization over a length of 2.5km.
The importance of this resource’s growth is important for both RUA Gold and New Zealand, as antimony is at the top of the important mineral list of all countries. ”
1. Using recent spot prices for gold and antimony and applying a ~30% discount, the gold equivalent formula is based on AUEQ = AU G/T + 4.3 x SB%.
Figure 1: Overview of Reefton Goldfield.
Figure 2: Location of Auld Creek Drilling
Antimony’s global supply and value
Antimony is an important metalloid, mainly supplied by the mineral stibnite. It is extremely valuable, and demand is growing due to its versatility, and has essential applications in the renewable energy, liquid battery metals, defense and technology sectors.
With limited supply, dominated primarily by China, Russia and Tajikistan, antimony is considered an essential strategic material for supply chain security, especially during periods of geopolitical instability. This was enhanced in September 2024 when China announced export control of processed antimony products. In response to these controls, the nation is accelerating efforts to ensure alternative sources of antimony to mitigate the risk of critical supply chain vulnerability.
The US, EU, UK, Japan, Canada and Australia all designate antimony as important minerals. On January 31, 2025, New Zealand also released a list of key minerals, including antimony.
Reflecting the rise in demand, antimony prices have reached new highs, currently above USD 60,000 per tonne, up significantly from USD 11,350 per tonne at the start of 2024.
Exploration possibilities
Rua Gold began excavation at Auld Creek in December 2024. It employs a target program that excavates four mineralization photographs identified from historical surface exploration operations interpreted by the Rua Gold team over the past three months.
Auld Creek is located between two past production mines, Globe Progress Mine and Crashington Group of Mines, which collectively produced 933,000 ounces at 14.0g/T Au (Barry 1993). Auld Creek has three historic prizes, but no commercial production from the reefs.
Rua Gold has estimated resources showing 700,000 tons and 1.1% SB at 3.1g/t Au with 67,000 ounces of gold and 8,000 tons of antimony1 (aueq 110,000oz2). Resources are limited to two of the four known shoots. Soil geochemistry shows the possibility of discovering additional mineralised buds over a 2.5 km strike length.
Four of the eight holes completed so far crossed the mineralization of powerful visible stivunit (antimony sulfide) of 4-5m in the sibling structure.
As a result of ACDDH024, ACDDH025 checks an approximate average gold grade, but reports an antimony grade higher than the current resource estimate. As a result of ACDDH027, ACDDH028 highlights above average gold grade with narrow but high quality antimony in ACDDH028.
Drillings of ACDDH030, 31, 32 and 33 (results pending, but intercepted structures) provided strong evidence of continuity of sibling gold stack structures at depth, and the narrow, high-quality intersection of ACDDH031 confirmed resource-grade mineralization and continuity with previously reported drilling of ACDDH027 and ACDDH028.
Enhanced surface exploration shows a very strong trend of encouragement both in the north and northwest.
1. See the technical report dated October 30, 2024 entitled “Technical Report on the Reefton Project in New Zealand.”
2. Based on the gold equivalent formula of AUUQ= AU G/T + 1.9 x SB%, the AU price is 2025 USD/ounce, the SB price is 15,000 USD per ton and 85% recovery.
Figure 3: Photograph of brothers’ ore at Auld Creek.
Figure 4: Arsenic soil geochemistry in the Auld Creek region.
About Lua Gold
Rua Gold is a strategically focused exploration company in New Zealand. Decades of expertise have made great discoveries to produce world-class mines across multiple continents. The team is currently focusing on maximizing the asset potential of Rua Gold’s two very positive, high-quality gold projects.
The company controls the Leafton Gold District with over 120,000 hectares of tenements, as the dominant landowner of Reefton Gold Field on New Zealand’s South Island.
The company’s Glamorgan project cements Rua Gold’s position as a leading luxury gold explorer on New Zealand’s North Island. This very forward-looking project is located within the Hauraki district of the North Island. This is the region that produced an impressive 15 moz gold and 60 moz silver. Glamorgan is adjacent to the Ocean Agold Corporation’s largest gold mining project, Falekirauponga.
For more information, see Sedar+’s company disclosure records. www.sedarplus.ca.
Technical information
Simon Henderson CP, Osim, Qualified Person for National Instrument 43-101 Mineral Project Disclosure Standards The Chief Operating Officer and Director of Rua Gold also reviewed and approved the technical disclosures contained here. Henderson participated in the geochemical sampling and mapping program to ensure that it was carried out following standard operating procedures. Henderson validated the disclosed data by performing checks on the location, analysis, and test data that underlie the technical disclosure information in this book.
QA/QC drill core
Core samples were sent to the SGS Laboratory in Westport for sample preparation. The samples were crushed and ground to 85% passing through 75 µm. The crushed lock tip was split into two samples of ~50 g, sent for laboratory analysis, and rejection returned to RGL for PXRF analysis and storage. The ground lock tip samples were analyzed for gold (AU) in a 50 g fire assay using AAS finish with SGS WAIHI (SGS code FAA505). For antimony (SB) by sodium peroxide fusion analysis by SGS Waihi’s ICP-MS.
Rua Gold Contact
Robert Eckford
chief executive officer
Email: reckford@ruagold.com
Website: www.ruagold.com
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements.” All statements in this new release address, besides statements of historical fact, any event or development the company expects to occur and is for future prospects. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are not general, but are statements that are not always, not always, and not always, identified by the term “expectation,” “plan,” “believe,” “intention,” “estimate,” “potential,” similar expressions or the term “intention,” or the event or condition, or the term “intent.” Actions including, but not limited to, exploration programs in the Reefton and Glamorgan projects and their results. Although the company believes that the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements do not guarantee future performance, and actual results may differ materially from those of forward-looking statements.
Investors should note that such forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance, and actual results and developments may differ materially from those predicted in forward-looking statements. Various inherent risks, uncertainties, and factors, many of which go beyond the control of the company, affect the operation, performance, and outcome of the company and its business, and the actual event or outcome may differ materially from the estimated or expected event or outcome expressed or implied by statements seen before or after. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: General business, economic, competition, political and social uncertainty. Risks related to the impact of the Russian-Ukraine War. Risks related to climate change. Operational risks in exploration, delays or changes to plans regarding exploration projects or capital expenditures. Actual results of current exploration activities. Conclusions of economic assessment; changes in project parameters as the plans continue to be refined. personnel, other expenses, and other expenses and changes to equipment or processes to operate mining forecasts, accidents, labor disputes, or other risks, including, but not limited to, environmental hazards, floods or adverse operating conditions and adverse losses, riots or wars, delays in government approval or acquisition of financial obligations, and commercial prices. As this list does not cover factors that may affect any of our forward-looking statements, the company’s Basic Prospectus for Short Story Base dated July 11, 2024, and the documents incorporated by reference should also be made in documents filed under its SEDAR+ profile. www.sedarplus.ca Description of additional risk factors.
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Table 1: Location of Auld Creek Drill Holes from the RUA 2024-2025 Program
* Disputed results from the assay lab for holes ACDDH033 and ACDDH034 from the assay lab for holes.
Table 2: Remarkable drilling intercepts at Auld Creek, complete mineralised zone composite (1.5g/t Au cutoff)
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