Power Minerals Limited reports robust near-surface niobium and rare earth element assay results from its Santa Anna Project in Brazil, underpinning plans for a major 10,000m drilling campaign to define a Mineral Resource Estimate.
- Multiple high-grade TREO and Nb2O5 intervals from shallow auger drilling
- Ongoing 1,000m auger program confirms extensive weathered zone
- Upcoming 10,000m reverse circulation drilling to test depth and lateral extensions
- Drone aerial magnetic survey completed to prioritise high-grade targets
- First Mineral Resource Estimate for Santa Anna expected in Q1 2026
Exploration Momentum Builds at Santa Anna
Power Minerals Limited (ASX – PNN) has delivered another tranche of encouraging assay results from its ongoing shallow auger drilling program at the Santa Anna Project in Goiás State, Brazil. The latest results reveal multiple intervals of high-grade total rare earth oxides (TREO) and niobium oxide (Nb2O5) mineralisation within the top 15 metres of a weathered, clay-rich layer overlying the carbonatite complex.
The company’s auger drilling, conducted at nominal 80-metre spacing, has returned standout intercepts such as 15 metres at 6,818 ppm TREO including 2 metres at 11,686 ppm TREO, and 16.5 metres at 4,848 ppm TREO with a peak 1 metre interval hitting 16,008 ppm TREO. Niobium results are similarly promising, with intervals like 15 metres at 2,852 ppm Nb2O5 including 8 metres at 3,662 ppm Nb2O5.
Confirming a Significant Near-Surface Weathered Zone
These consistent high-grade results reinforce the presence of a substantial shallow weathered zone, which is critical for near-surface resource potential. The mineralisation appears to commence at surface, with minimal transported material, enhancing the prospectivity of the targeted zone. This auger program follows up on Power Minerals’ maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign and aims to expand the known mineralised footprint east and southeast of initial drilling.
Strategic Use of Geophysics to Guide Drilling
Power Minerals recently completed a drone-supported aerial magnetic and digital elevation model (DEM) survey over the entire Santa Anna complex. This high-resolution geophysical data will be instrumental in prioritising targets for the upcoming drilling phases, particularly for high-grade niobium mineralisation. Carbonatite intrusions often correlate with magnetic anomalies due to magnetite content, making this survey a valuable exploration tool.
Next Phase – A 10,000 Metre RC Drilling Campaign
Building on the auger results, Power Minerals is poised to commence a substantial 10,000-metre RC drilling program. This campaign will test deeper extensions of the niobium and REE mineralisation, as well as lateral expansions into previously untested areas of the Santa Anna Alkaline Complex. An initial 2,000 metres of RC drilling is scheduled to start imminently, with systematic assay results and further drilling planned over the coming months.
Power Minerals Managing Director Mena Habib emphasised the significance of the consistent high-grade results, stating they validate the exploration model and bolster confidence in the shallow weathered zone’s resource potential. The company aims to deliver the first Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for Santa Anna in the first quarter of 2026.
A Critical Minerals Opportunity in Brazil
Santa Anna represents an advanced critical minerals exploration opportunity, with Power Minerals having secured 100% ownership of the entire alkaline carbonatite complex. The project’s location in Goiás State, central Brazil, places it within a geologically favourable setting influenced by late Cretaceous alkaline magmatism and tectonic lineaments.
While the current drilling focuses on near-surface mineralisation, the upcoming deeper drilling and ongoing mineralogical studies will be crucial to understanding the deposit’s full potential and guiding future metallurgical test work to optimise recovery processes.
Bottom Line?
Power Minerals’ Santa Anna Project is rapidly advancing from promising near-surface assays to a comprehensive resource definition phase, setting the stage for critical minerals development in Brazil.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming 10,000m RC drilling refine the understanding of depth and lateral continuity?
- What metallurgical challenges and recovery rates might emerge from the complex’s mineralogy?
- How will evolving global demand for niobium and rare earth elements influence project economics?