Santa Anna Drilling to Hit 10,000m, Targeting High-Grade Rare Earths and Niobium

Power Minerals Advances Santa Anna Exploration

Power Minerals Limited (ASX – PNN) has announced a significant escalation in its exploration activities at the Santa Anna Project in Goiás State, Brazil. The company plans to commence an extensive drilling program of up to 10,000 metres, designed to build on promising early results that revealed high-grade rare earth elements (REE) and niobium mineralisation.

The initial phase, set to begin in November 2025, involves 2,000 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling targeting broad zones of the highest-grade REE identified in previous campaigns. This stage aims to extend the mineralised footprint east and southeast of earlier drill sites, focusing on deeper zones within the Santa Anna Alkaline Carbonatite Complex that remain largely untested.

Strategic Use of Technology and Systematic Sampling

Complementing the drilling, Power Minerals will deploy a drone-based magnetic survey across the entire alkaline complex. This geophysical approach is expected to refine target areas, enabling the company to prioritize drilling in new, unexplored zones. The systematic sampling from the drilling program will feed into developing a robust mineralisation model, supporting an Exploration Target and eventual Mineral Resource Estimate.

Following the initial RC drilling, a more intensive combined RC and diamond core program of up to 6,000 metres is planned for early 2026. This phase will extend grid resource drilling and test additional targets identified by the magnetic survey. The inclusion of diamond core drilling will provide critical data for density and geotechnical studies, essential for future mine planning.

Encouraging Early Results and Exploration Potential

Previous drilling at Santa Anna has yielded impressive intersections, including near-surface REE-rich clay layers and deeper mineralisation. Highlights include intervals with total rare earth oxides (TREO) exceeding 4% and niobium oxide (Nb2O5) grades above 1%, underscoring the project's potential scale and quality. Notably, approximately 89% of the 5.8 square kilometre alkaline complex remains untested at depth, indicating significant upside for resource expansion.

Power Minerals’ Managing Director, Mena Habib, expressed optimism about the upcoming drilling phases, emphasizing the company’s commitment to systematically unlocking the project’s value. The integration of geophysical data and staged drilling reflects a methodical approach to exploration, balancing rapid progress with technical rigor.

Broader Strategic Context

The Santa Anna Project forms a key part of Power Minerals’ diversified portfolio, which includes lithium resources in Argentina and other critical mineral assets in Brazil and the USA. The company’s focus on rare earth elements and niobium aligns with growing global demand for these materials, essential in high-tech and clean energy applications.

As drilling progresses and results are released progressively, investors and industry watchers will be keen to assess how these developments translate into resource upgrades and project valuation. The upcoming phases will be critical in defining the scale and economic potential of Santa Anna’s mineralisation.