14m at 7.4g/t Gold Boosts Santana’s Rise and Shine Resource Potential
Santana Minerals has reported promising diamond drilling results at its Rise and Shine deposit in New Zealand, revealing minor pit extensions and high-grade intercepts that could refine mine planning and resource estimates.
- Diamond drilling confirms eastern margin extensions at Rise and Shine (RAS) deposit
- High-grade intercepts including 14m at 7.4g/t Au enhance resource potential
- Infill drilling in RAS South targets inferred zones with encouraging early results
- Revised Mineral Resource Estimate underway incorporating new data and wireframes
- Improved geological definition expected to optimize open pit design and reduce pre-strip costs
Context and Objectives
Santana Minerals Limited (ASX: SMI) has released new diamond drilling results from its Rise and Shine (RAS) gold deposit, part of the Bendigo-Ophir project in New Zealand. The drilling program aims to better delineate the eastern limits of the high-grade core of the deposit, where mineralisation tapers into narrower, lower-grade zones. This enhanced geological definition is critical for refining mine planning, particularly the positioning of the final open pit walls on the highwall side.
Key Drilling Highlights
The recent drilling campaign, comprising 17 holes focused on the eastern margin, has confirmed minor extensions of the pit area, albeit generally at lower grades compared to the core. Notably, hole MDD387 intersected 14.0 meters at 7.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 155 meters downhole, representing a significant high-grade zone that could influence pit design. Other intercepts include 23.0 meters at 1.5 g/t and 21.0 meters at 1.4 g/t, demonstrating continuity of mineralisation beyond previously defined boundaries.
Expansion into RAS South
Following the construction of new access tracks in the steeper southern terrain, infill drilling has commenced in the RAS South area, where prior drilling was sparse and classified as Inferred. Early results from hole MDD395 are encouraging, with high-grade intercepts such as 14.0 meters at 4.7 g/t gold from 88 meters, suggesting potential for grade uplift and lateral continuity of the high-grade core. This could materially enhance the overall resource and provide additional flexibility in mine planning.
Implications for Resource and Mine Planning
Santana is currently updating the Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the RAS deposit, integrating the new drilling data and revised geological wireframes. CEO Damian Spring emphasised that the increased drilling detail improves the orebody’s definition, enabling beneficial adjustments to mine designs. These refinements are expected to optimize the pre-feasibility study (PFS) mine plans and potentially reduce upfront capital requirements by lowering the scale of pre-strip works.
Ongoing Exploration and Next Steps
Beyond the RAS edge definition program, Santana continues to advance the RINA (RAS is Not Alone) drilling program and geotechnical investigations to support final pit design parameters. The company is also reviewing regional exploration data to identify new targets within the Bendigo-Ophir project area. These efforts underscore Santana’s commitment to expanding and upgrading its resource base ahead of development decisions.
Bottom Line?
Santana’s latest drilling success at Rise and Shine sharpens the project’s economic outlook, but further results will be pivotal to fully unlocking its potential.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the updated Mineral Resource Estimate affect the overall grade and tonnage at Rise and Shine?
- What impact will the new drilling results have on the timing and capital intensity of the planned open pit mining?
- Can infill drilling in RAS South convert significant Inferred resources into Indicated categories to support mine development?
