Santa Anna’s High-Grade Niobium and REE Results Set Stage for Critical Resource Milestone

Exploration Breakthrough at Santa Anna

Power Minerals Limited (ASX, PNN) has released encouraging assay results from its recent 1,000-metre shallow auger drilling program at the Santa Anna Project, located in Goiás State, central Brazil. The program has returned multiple high-grade intercepts of niobium (Nb2O5) and total rare earth oxides (TREO), including standout results such as 1 metre at 1.36% Nb2O5 from just 8 metres depth and 9 metres at 1.01% TREO starting at surface. These findings reinforce the prospectivity of the Santa Anna Alkaline Carbonatite Complex as a significant critical minerals deposit.

Validating the Exploration Model

The shallow auger drilling has demonstrated mineralisation commencing from surface with minimal overburden, a positive indicator for potential mining economics. The consistent grades across multiple drillholes suggest a robust mineralised system. Power Minerals’ Managing Director, Mena Habib, highlighted that these results continue to validate their exploration model and build confidence towards defining a substantial maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the project.

Scaling Up with a Major Drilling Campaign

Building on the auger program and an earlier 2,272m reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign, Power Minerals is set to commence a large-scale 10,000m RC drilling program starting November 2025. The initial phase will cover 2,000m across approximately 40 holes, targeting extensions of niobium and rare earth mineralisation east and southeast of previous drilling. This systematic approach aims to delineate the mineralised footprint more comprehensively and explore deeper zones within the carbonatite complex.

Strategic Acquisition and Regional Context

Power Minerals holds a binding option to acquire the entire Santa Anna alkaline carbonatite complex from the current permit holder, Empresa Desenvolvimento Mineração (EDEM). The project area, spanning over 1,700 hectares, benefits from secure tenure with no known impediments to transfer. The Santa Anna complex lies within a geologically significant alkaline magmatic province, intersected by major tectonic lineaments, which has historically been underexplored for critical minerals such as niobium and rare earth elements.

Looking Ahead

As Power Minerals advances its exploration efforts, the upcoming RC drilling results will be pivotal in confirming the scale and grade continuity of the deposit. The company’s methodical drilling and sampling strategy, combined with rigorous assay protocols and geological modelling, position Santa Anna as a promising candidate in the critical minerals sector. Investors and industry watchers will be keenly awaiting the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate, anticipated in early 2026, which will provide a clearer picture of the project’s economic potential.