Santa Anna Drill Hole MN-TM-04 Hits 43,385ppm TREO and 7,748ppm Nb2O5
Power Minerals Limited reports exceptional high-grade rare earth and niobium intersections from shallow drilling at its Santa Anna Project in Brazil, reinforcing its potential for a significant mineral resource.
- Drill hole MN-TM-04 returns 4.34% TREO over 1m within a 15m zone averaging 1.32% TREO
- Significant niobium grades up to 0.77% Nb2O5 intersected near surface
- Ongoing auger drilling program aims to extend mineralised footprint east and southeast
- Project located in mining-friendly Goiás State with no environmental or encumbrance issues
- Further metallurgical testing planned to confirm rare earth recoveries from clay-rich zones
Exceptional Drill Results Highlight Santa Anna’s Potential
Power Minerals Limited (ASX – PNN) has delivered a compelling update from its Santa Anna Project in Goiás State, Brazil, with the latest shallow auger drilling returning some of the highest rare earth element (REE) grades recorded to date. Drill hole MN-TM-04 intersected a remarkable 43,385ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO), equivalent to 4.34%, over a one-metre interval within a broader 15-metre zone averaging 13,212ppm TREO. This high-grade mineralisation is complemented by significant niobium values, with up to 7,748ppm Nb2O5 (0.77%) also encountered near surface.
The Santa Anna Project, a niobium-REE-carbonatite deposit, is rapidly emerging as a world-class critical minerals opportunity. The ongoing auger program is designed to systematically test uncharted areas to the east and southeast of the initial drilling footprint, aiming to expand the known mineralised zones. These latest results not only validate Power Minerals’ exploration model but also bolster confidence in the project’s potential to define a significant Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in the near term.
Strategic Location and Advanced Exploration Stage
Situated in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of Goiás, the Santa Anna Project benefits from a lack of environmental or regulatory encumbrances, a critical factor for advancing exploration and development. The project covers the entire Santa Anna Alkaline Complex, a geophysical anomaly discovered in 2021, which hosts high-grade niobium and REE mineralisation near surface. Power Minerals’ recent maiden reverse circulation drilling and follow-up auger drilling have consistently intersected broad zones of mineralisation, confirming the deposit’s scale and grade continuity.
Importantly, the mineralisation extends from surface to the end of hole in the latest drill results, indicating a heavily mineralised weathered profile amenable to cost-effective extraction methods. The company plans to follow up these shallow auger results with deeper aircore and reverse circulation drilling to test mineral continuity at depth, a critical step towards resource definition.
Next Steps – Metallurgical Testing and Resource Definition
Power Minerals is also preparing to undertake metallurgical testing focused on the ionic clay REE fraction within the weathered zone. Using industry-standard AMSUL wash techniques, these tests will assess the recoverability of individual rare earth elements, a key determinant of the project’s economic viability. The ongoing drilling program, expected to complete in September 2025, will provide further data to refine the mineralisation model and support upcoming resource estimation efforts.
Managing Director Mena Habib emphasised the significance of these results, noting that the high-grade, near-surface intersections reinforce Santa Anna’s status as an advanced exploration opportunity in the critical minerals sector. With the project’s acquisition process underway following successful due diligence, Power Minerals is well positioned to accelerate development in a globally strategic commodity space.
Bottom Line?
Santa Anna’s exceptional grades and strategic location position Power Minerals for a pivotal resource milestone in critical minerals exploration.
Questions in the middle?
- How continuous and extensive is the high-grade mineralisation at depth beyond the shallow auger results?
- What will metallurgical testing reveal about the recoverability of rare earths from the clay-rich zones?
- How soon can Power Minerals convert these exploration successes into a formal Mineral Resource Estimate?
