Power Minerals Unveils High-Grade Niobium and Rare Earths at Santa Anna
Power Minerals Limited has reported outstanding high-grade niobium and rare earth element results from its completed auger drilling program at the Santa Anna Project in Brazil, confirming significant near-surface mineralisation and launching a major deeper drilling campaign.
- Exceptional rare earth oxide grades up to 1.54% TREO near surface
- Consistent niobium mineralisation confirmed from surface to end of holes
- Completed 57-hole auger program with 81m total sampled intervals
- 10,000m reverse circulation drilling campaign underway to test depth extensions
- Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate expected this quarter
Strong Near-Surface Mineralisation Confirmed
Power Minerals Limited (ASX, PNN) has released compelling assay results from its recently completed auger drilling program at the Santa Anna Project in Brazil’s Goiás State. The program, which targeted the upper 15 metres of the Santa Anna alkaline carbonatite complex, returned exceptionally high grades of rare earth oxides (TREO) and niobium (Nb2O5), with mineralisation commencing right at surface and extending to the end of holes. These results reinforce the potential for a substantial shallow weathered zone resource.
Highlights include intervals such as 14 metres at 6,081 ppm TREO including 3 metres at an impressive 15,436 ppm (1.54%) TREO, and 13.5 metres at 3,529 ppm Nb2O5 with a high-grade 4-metre section at 4,942 ppm Nb2O5. The continuity of mineralisation to the end of holes suggests the deposit remains open at depth, a promising sign for resource expansion.
Strategic Drilling and Geophysical Surveys Drive Exploration
The auger drilling program comprised 57 vertical holes spaced on an 80-metre grid, systematically exploring previously untested areas east and southeast of earlier drilling. This phase followed a maiden 29-hole reverse circulation (RC) program and was designed to delineate the near-surface footprint of niobium and rare earth element mineralisation.
Complementing the drilling, Power Minerals completed a drone-supported aerial magnetic and digital elevation model survey over the entire complex. This geophysical data is instrumental in prioritising targets for the ongoing 10,000-metre RC drilling campaign, which commenced last month. The deeper drilling aims to test high-grade niobium phases at depth and extend the mineralised footprint beyond the current known zones.
Towards a Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate
Power Minerals has engaged SRK Consulting to deliver the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Santa Anna Project, anticipated within the current quarter. The consistent high-grade results from the auger program, combined with the expanding dataset from the ongoing deeper drilling, underpin confidence in the project's resource potential.
Managing Director Mena Habib emphasised the significance of these results, noting that the shallow weathered zone's substantial resource potential is now better defined. The company eagerly awaits the outcomes from the initial 2,000 metres of the deeper drilling campaign, which will provide further clarity on the project's scale and grade distribution.
An Advanced Critical Minerals Opportunity
Santa Anna represents an advanced exploration opportunity for critical minerals, with Power Minerals holding 100% ownership of the entire alkaline carbonatite complex spanning approximately 2.5 kilometres. The project’s location in Brazil’s Goiás State places it within a geologically favourable setting known for alkaline magmatism and associated rare earth and niobium mineralisation.
With global demand for critical minerals intensifying, particularly for rare earth elements and niobium used in high-tech and clean energy applications, Santa Anna’s development could position Power Minerals as a key player in this strategic sector. Further metallurgical and mineralogical studies are planned to optimise processing and recovery, essential steps towards eventual project development.
Bottom Line?
Santa Anna’s high-grade near-surface mineralisation and expanding deeper targets set the stage for a pivotal resource update this quarter.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate quantify the shallow weathered zone’s scale and grade?
- What metallurgical challenges and recovery rates might impact the economic viability of niobium and REE extraction?
- To what extent will the ongoing 10,000m deeper drilling campaign expand the known mineralised footprint?
