Santa Anna Project Drilling Could Make or Break Power Minerals’ Brazil Ambitions
Power Minerals Limited has initiated a 2,000-metre drilling program at its Santa Anna niobium and rare earth elements project in Brazil, aiming to confirm and expand on promising earlier results as part of its due diligence for acquisition.
- 2,000m reverse circulation drilling program underway at Santa Anna Project
- Previous drilling showed high-grade niobium and rare earth element mineralisation
- Drilling to test new areas and support maiden JORC resource estimate
- Project located in underexplored 2.5km-wide carbonatite complex in Goiás, Brazil
- Acquisition option could strengthen Power Minerals’ South American critical minerals portfolio
Strategic Drilling Commences at Santa Anna
Power Minerals Limited (ASX: PNN) has commenced a significant 2,000-metre reverse circulation drilling campaign at the Santa Anna niobium and rare earth elements (REE) project in Goiás State, Brazil. This drilling forms a key part of the company’s due diligence process ahead of potentially exercising its option to acquire the project, which is poised to bolster its portfolio of critical minerals assets in South America.
The Santa Anna Project is a large, 2.5-kilometre-wide alkaline carbonatite complex that remains largely underexplored, with most previous drilling shallow and focused on phosphate. Power Minerals aims to confirm and extend earlier high-grade intercepts of niobium oxide (Nb2O5) and total rare earth oxides (TREO), while also testing new sections of the complex to unlock further value.
Promising Historical Results Underpin Drilling
Earlier drilling at Santa Anna revealed encouraging grades, including intercepts such as 14 metres at 0.71% Nb2O5 and 51 metres at over 10,000 ppm TREO from surface. These results highlight the project’s potential as a significant source of niobium and rare earth elements, both critical for clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
Power Minerals has engaged Servitec Foraco Sondagem SA, Brazil’s second-largest drilling contractor, to expedite the program. The company’s Managing Director, Mena Habib, emphasised the rarity of acquiring a largely untested alkaline complex of this scale and expressed excitement about rapidly advancing exploration efforts.
Advancing Towards a Maiden Resource
The current drilling campaign is designed to test mineralisation continuity and thickness, particularly within the weathered upper zones that have shown significant REE content. The use of reverse circulation drilling allows for faster progress and quicker assay turnaround, enabling Power Minerals to refine its exploration target under the 2012 JORC Code.
Subject to positive drilling outcomes and the exercise of the acquisition option, the company plans further drilling to delineate a maiden JORC-compliant Mineral Resource Estimate. This would mark a critical milestone in transforming Santa Anna from an exploration asset into a development-ready project.
Strategic Implications for Power Minerals
The Santa Anna acquisition, if completed, would complement Power Minerals’ existing lithium and critical minerals projects across South America and Australia. It positions the company to play a stronger role in the supply chain for clean energy metals, a sector of growing global importance amid the energy transition.
Environmental considerations appear favourable, with low uranium and thorium levels reported and potential for the weathered carbonate material to serve as a fertiliser product, reducing environmental risks often associated with mining operations.
Bottom Line?
Santa Anna’s drilling results will be pivotal in defining Power Minerals’ next growth chapter in critical minerals exploration.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming drilling confirm and expand the high-grade niobium and REE zones?
- How soon might Power Minerals exercise its option to acquire the Santa Anna Project?
- What are the potential timelines and challenges for advancing to a JORC-compliant resource?