Wagyu’s Open-Ended Gold System Could Reshape Pilbara Exploration
New Age Exploration has revealed multiple high-grade gold intercepts from its maiden drilling at the Wagyu Gold Project in Western Australia, confirming a broad and open supergene mineralisation system.
- Maiden RC drilling returns significant gold intercepts including 8m @ 5.0g/t Au
- Laterally extensive supergene gold mineralisation confirmed over 1km envelope
- Project adjacent to Northern Star’s 11.2Moz Hemi Gold Project in Pilbara
- Strong correlation between gold and arsenic supports targeting model
- Next drilling campaign planned to expand and test deeper mineralisation
Promising Maiden Drilling Results
New Age Exploration Limited (ASX: NAE) has announced encouraging assay results from its inaugural Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling program at the Wagyu Gold Project, located in the Central Pilbara region of Western Australia. The program, comprising 33 angled drill holes totaling over 3,000 metres, has intersected multiple zones of significant gold mineralisation, highlighted by an 8-metre intercept grading 5.0 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, including a standout 1-metre interval at 28.6 g/t Au.
This maiden drilling campaign targeted high-priority gravity anomalies identified through prior geophysical surveys and air core drilling, confirming the presence of a laterally extensive supergene gold system. The mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth, suggesting considerable upside potential for resource expansion.
Strategic Location and Geological Parallels
Wagyu lies adjacent to Northern Star Resources’ Hemi Gold Project, a world-class deposit with an 11.2 million ounce gold resource. The geological setting and alteration styles at Wagyu bear strong resemblance to those at Hemi, particularly the presence of oxide and fresh rock mineralisation associated with intrusive bodies and regional structures. This proximity and similarity bolster the prospectivity of Wagyu as a potential major new gold system within the prolific Mallina Gold Corridor.
Key Targets and Mineralisation Characteristics
The drilling has delineated a 1-kilometre mineralised envelope stretching between Target 1 and Target 10, with significant intercepts also recorded at Target 6. Mineralisation is predominantly hosted within oxidised intrusive rocks and extends into fresh rock at depth, with grades frequently associated with quartz veining and strong alteration minerals such as sericite, epidote, and pyrite.
Notably, the company has identified a strong correlation between gold and arsenic concentrations, a geochemical signature that has proven effective in guiding exploration at Hemi. This arsenic-gold relationship is now being used as a pathfinder to identify additional mineralised zones across the project area.
Next Steps in Exploration
New Age Exploration is advancing plans for follow-up drilling to expand the known supergene zones and to test for deeper primary mineralisation. Resampling of high-grade composite samples is underway to refine assay results, while ongoing petrological and geochemical studies aim to better understand the mineralisation controls and feeder structures.
With much of the fresh rock and deeper mineralisation still underexplored, and recent heritage clearances enabling improved drill collar placement, the Wagyu Project is positioned for significant growth in the coming months.
Bottom Line?
Wagyu’s early drilling success sets the stage for a potentially transformative gold discovery in the Pilbara.
Questions in the middle?
- How will upcoming drilling refine the understanding of Wagyu’s deeper primary mineralisation?
- Can the arsenic pathfinder model unlock new mineralised zones beyond current targets?
- What are the implications of Wagyu’s mineralisation style for resource scale compared to Hemi?
