Wairiri profile
Hamish McLauchlan
Principal Geologist providing project generation, permitting, exploration leadership, geological interpretation and mine-development support.
Professional profile
Geological judgement connected to practical delivery
Hamish is an exploration geologist and mineral-project manager with more than 25 years of experience across exploration, mining, project development and technical leadership in New Zealand and internationally, including substantial orogenic-gold exploration experience in Otago. He leads Wairiri Exploration Group and works across the mineral-project pathway—from early opportunity review and NZPAM permitting through field exploration, drilling, geological modelling, resource definition, feasibility and mine-development support.
His project experience covers orogenic gold, tungsten and antimony, alluvial gold, mineral sands and coal. The emphasis is on defining the decision a project needs to make, assembling the evidence required and designing work that can be delivered safely, efficiently and credibly.
Explore Otago gold capability →
Santana Minerals — resource growth and exploration efficiency
Hamish served as Exploration/Project Manager for Santana Minerals for approximately three years, joining shortly after the initial Rise and Shine discovery. The supplied qualification brief records that, during his management period, the project's reported resource increased from 643 koz to 3.009 Moz and that the exploration cost over that work was approximately $3.60 per ounce.
His role connected geological interpretation and targeting with programme design, contractor management, multi-rig drilling, field systems and progressive resource definition as the Bendigo–Ophir project advanced through sustained exploration.
Exploration and drilling management
Hamish has managed exploration programmes totalling more than 150,000 metres of drilling, including programmes operating up to nine rigs. The work has included ground-based and helicopter-supported drilling on private land, Public Conservation Land and other Crown land, using multiple drilling methods in difficult ground and remote terrain.
He has established company-wide exploration systems, drilling-support contracts, field processes and contractor arrangements intended to produce consistent, traceable data while maintaining practical control of safety, cost and programme performance.
Project development, permitting and access
His experience includes project management through major exploration programmes, scoping and pre-feasibility work, management of substantial permit portfolios, and preparation of prospecting, exploration, mining, extension and subsequent-permit applications. He has negotiated access across private and Crown land, including land administered by the Department of Conservation, and worked with regional and district councils on resource-consent requirements.
Modelling, reporting and technical review
Hamish's technical work includes three-dimensional structural and geological modelling, conversion of geological interpretation into resource and reserve models, resource assessment, auditing, due diligence and public or government reporting. He has prepared technical material supporting mineral resource and reserve estimates and JORC reporting.
Health and safety leadership
Hamish has developed and maintained exploration health and safety management systems, trained field teams, conducted audits and incident investigations, and prepared emergency-response plans for remote multi-rig programmes. His background includes Site Senior Executive appointments and B Grade Quarry and Coal Mine Manager Certificates of Competence, providing practical familiarity with extractives legislation, risk controls and competency-based systems.
Career depth
Before establishing Wairiri Consulting, Hamish held senior geological, technical-services and exploration-management roles with Bathurst Resources. Earlier roles included Stockton Alliance, Solid Energy, the Department of Conservation, GRD Macraes, Macraes Mining Company and Climax Mining Corporation in the Philippines. This combination provides experience across early exploration, operating sites, government interfaces, project development and corporate technical management.
Current Wairiri focus
- Project generation, historical research and opportunity screening
- NZPAM permit applications, work programmes and regulator responses
- Field, drilling and contractor programme leadership
- GIS, data validation, geological modelling and QAQC
- Land-access, consenting and specialist coordination
- Technical review, reporting support and practical development planning
Hamish works with independent geologists, field personnel, drillers, surveyors, environmental specialists and other technical advisers so the team can expand or contract with the programme.
How Hamish works
Start with the geological and commercial decision
The scope should be proportionate to the uncertainty and the value of the next decision, with limitations recorded clearly.
Recover existing evidence
Use historic reports, maps, drilling, assays, production records and public geoscience before spending money to recreate information.
Build a testable model
Separate observation from interpretation, identify gaps and define the field or drilling work that can change the decision.
Deliver the programme
Connect permitting, access, contractors, field systems, health and safety, QAQC and checked data through to the next stage.
Start a conversation
Have a project, permit or geological problem to work through?
Bring Wairiri in early to turn scattered information into a practical exploration pathway.