A Positive Gold-Antimony PEA Just Landed in a Fast-Track Jurisdiction — With Spot Gold Above $4,500 an Ounce and a 19,000-Metre Drill Program Already Underway

Issued on behalf of Rua Gold Inc.



With antimony designated a U.S. Critical Mineral, China antimony export controls structurally tightening Western supply, and gold trading at record highs into 2026, one New Zealand–focused junior just delivered base-case PEA economics, expanded spot-price upside, and a Fast-Track permitting referral inside the same quarter

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada News Group News Commentary — Gold has spent 2026 setting record highs amid sustained central bank purchasing and forecasts pushing toward US$5,000/oz by Q4. Antimony was designated a U.S. Critical Mineral following China's late-2024 export restrictions and remains structurally short in Western markets. The premium goes to companies that are already permitted, already funded, and already turning the drill bits.

Inside that landscape, Rua Gold Inc. (TSX:RUA) (NZX: RGI) (OTCQX:NZAUF) (FSE: X9R), Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) (TSX:NGT), Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) (TSX:AEM), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE:KGC) (TSX:K), and OceanaGold Corporation (TSX:OGC) (OTCQX:OCANF) collectively span the spectrum from emerging-stage New Zealand–focused developer to integrated major gold producer.

Rua Gold Inc. (TSX:RUA) (NZX: RGI) (OTCQX:NZAUF) (FSE: X9R) on May 5, 2026 announced the results of a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for its 100%-owned Auld Creek Gold-Antimony Project in the Reefton Goldfield, New Zealand. The PEA — prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 disclosure standards and effective April 25, 2026 — highlights the potential for robust economics from a high-grade, shallow underground starter mine, supported by access to established Reefton infrastructure for efficient transporting to port.

Base-case PEA economics: After-tax NPV5% of US$42 million and after-tax IRR of 17% at long-term gold of US$3,300/oz and antimony of US$27,000/t. Leveraged to spot at US$4,700/oz gold, NPV5% rises to US$113 million with IRR of 36% and payback shortened from 3.3 years to 2.2 years. Project parameters include nominal processing throughput of 250,000 tonnes per annum, average annual production of approximately 27,000 ounces of AuEq over 5.5 years, life-of-mine production of approximately 147,000 ounces AuEq, gold metallurgical recovery of 95% and antimony metallurgical recovery of 85%, pre-production capital of US$132.6 million (including approximately 29% contingency), and a no-cyanide grind-and-flotation flowsheet producing two saleable concentrates.

Robert Eckford, CEO of Rua Gold, framed the milestone directly, noting that the Auld Creek PEA highlights strong cash flow generation, compelling economics, and scalability potential within the Reefton Goldfield. With drilling underway and permitting advancing, the Company is positioned to deliver a Prefeasibility Study (PFS) in Q4 2026 and take advantage of New Zealand's Fast-Track Approvals permitting process. On April 20, 2026, Rua Gold submitted a Fast-Track Referral application for the Auld Creek Project. A decision is expected within three months, with fast-track status bundling mining, water, and wildlife approvals into a streamlined regulatory pathway.

The PEA is built on a current Mineral Resource Estimate effective February 27, 2026: 0.3 Mt Indicated at 5.67 g/t AuEq for 54,000 ounces, plus 1.3 Mt Inferred at 3.66 g/t AuEq for 150,000 ounces, at a 1.6 g/t AuEq cut-off. The Company has a 19,000-metre infill and step-out drill program currently turning at Auld Creek — designed to deliver an updated MRE ahead of the planned PFS and to test resource expansion potential along strike and at depth. Recent assay results have included intercepts such as 3.0m at 21.27 g/t AuEq (including 2.0m at 27.4 g/t AuEq) at ACDDH050 and 5.1m at 7.27 g/t AuEq at ACDDH056 — supporting the geological model under the planned PFS.

The macro framework around the project is unusual in its dual-metal exposure. Gold has spent 2026 at record highs, while antimony — designated a U.S. Critical Mineral following China's late-2024 export restrictions — remains structurally short in Western markets, with China-origin supply increasingly constrained by export licensing controls. Auld Creek's dual gold-and-antimony revenue stream addresses both macro narratives in a single asset, inside a Fast-Track New Zealand permitting jurisdiction, with the Company targeting full permitting in Q2 2027 and an initial mine life of up to 5.5 years (with expansion potential). For more company information, visit Canada News Group.

In other industry developments and happenings in the market include:

Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM) (TSX:NGT) — the world's largest gold producer — has continued to leverage record gold prices through Q1 2026 across its global portfolio. The Company's operating assets across North America, South America, Australia, and Africa provide one of the largest integrated gold production platforms in the public market. Recent quarterly results continued to reflect production discipline and capital allocation focus across the portfolio.

Newmont's institutional positioning as the senior gold reference for U.S. listed gold exposure provides the macro framework that exploration- and development-stage juniors like Rua Gold are valued against. Continued capital deployment into U.S. and global gold mining capacity reinforces the strategic relevance of new gold resource discovery and development — and the asymmetric upside in the small-cap junior development complex.

Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (NYSE:AEM) (TSX:AEM) has continued to advance its operations across Canada, Finland, Mexico, and Australia through 2026, with operating assets including the LaRonde Complex, Detour Lake, Malartic, and Meliadine. The Company has continued to leverage record gold prices through Q1 2026, with disciplined capital allocation supporting both organic growth and continued investment in operational excellence across the portfolio.

Agnico Eagle's continued operational platform and growth project advancement — particularly across Canadian Shield assets — provides the institutional reference for senior gold producer scale-up inside the current cycle. The structural premium attaching to Western-aligned gold production assets continues to reinforce the broader strategic engagement around development-stage gold-antimony assets in friendly jurisdictions.

Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE:KGC) (TSX:K) has continued to operate its diversified gold mining portfolio across the United States, Brazil, Mauritania, and Chile through 2026. Recent capital allocation and operational platform performance have continued to leverage the structurally higher gold price environment, with operating assets including Tasiast, Paracatu, La Coipa, and Fort Knox providing diversified geographic exposure.

Kinross's operating discipline and continued production platform scale-up across multiple jurisdictions provides the additional senior-producer reference for what gold production economics look like inside the current commodity price environment. The structural macro tailwinds under the global gold market continue to reinforce the strategic relevance of development-stage exploration assets at the upstream end of the value chain.

OceanaGold Corporation (TSX:OGC) (OTCQX:OCANF) operates gold mining assets across the Philippines, the United States, and most relevantly for the comparable set, New Zealand — where the Company operates the Macraes and Waihi gold mines. OceanaGold's operational platform in New Zealand provides the regional production reference for what gold mining looks like inside the New Zealand regulatory and operational environment — and reinforces the structural opportunity available to development-stage New Zealand gold operators.

OceanaGold's continued New Zealand operational platform — combined with the broader institutional engagement around New Zealand gold mining — provides the regional capital-markets validation framework within which smaller-cap New Zealand–focused gold developers like Rua Gold are increasingly being evaluated. The combination of dual gold-antimony exposure, positive PEA economics, Fast-Track permitting pathway, and 19,000-metre drill program turning at Auld Creek places Rua Gold in a structurally differentiated position within the development-stage New Zealand gold-antimony complex.

Across the comparable set, the message is consistent: gold supply economics are tightening, antimony supply economics are even tighter, and the upstream development layer with permitting clarity is where the asymmetric upside lives. Rua Gold's May 5 positive PEA delivering after-tax NPV5% of US$42M base case (US$113M at spot), the April 20 Fast-Track Referral submission, the 19,000-metre drill program already underway, and the 95% gold / 85% antimony metallurgical recoveries collectively place the Company at a development-stage entry point inside the broader gold-and-antimony capital cycle. For investors building exposure to the dual-metal development trade, RUA deserves a closer look.

CONTINUED… Read this and more news for Rua Gold Inc. at: https://usanewsgroup.com/nzauf-landing/

CONTACT:

Canada News Group

info@canadanewsgroup.com

604-265-2873



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Article Sources:

[1] https://www.tradingview.com/news/tmx_newsfile:7d6d1976b094b:0-rua-gold-announces-positive-pea-for-the-auld-creek-gold-antimony-project-in-reefton-new-zealand/

[2] https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/06/3289089/0/en/analyst-note-positive-pea-delivered-rua-gold-s-auld-creek-enters-pfs-workstream-under-new-zealand-fast-track-approvals.html

[3] https://www.stocktitan.net/news/NZAUF/rua-gold-submits-fast-track-referral-application-for-auld-creek-8bacbjnz1elm.html

[4] https://www.newmont.com/investors/news-release

[5] https://www.agnicoeagle.com/English/investor-relations/news/default.aspx

[6] https://www.kinross.com/news-and-investors/

[7] https://www.oceanagold.com/news/

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Cautionary Note on Production Decision and PEA:

The PEA disclosed by Rua Gold Inc. for the Auld Creek Gold-Antimony Project is preliminary in nature; it includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Any decision to commence production at Auld Creek would not be based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves and therefore would involve increased uncertainty and a higher risk of economic and technical failure. Risks include, without limitation, variations in grade and recovery, unexpected geotechnical or metallurgical challenges, cost overruns, funding availability, and operational, regulatory, or permitting risks under New Zealand's Fast-Track Approvals framework or otherwise. This is a paid advertisement. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.