Santana Minerals Ltd (ASX:SMI), a company focused on gold exploration, is pleased to announce that new assay results have significantly extended the high-grade domain (HG1) beyond the current Indicated Resource boundary at the Rise and Shine (RAS) deposit. This confirms mineralisation continuity to the north and strengthens the potential for future Reserve growth. The Rise and Shine deposit is part of the broader Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in New Zealand.
The results stem from assays received from nine additional holes drilled as part of Santana’s resource infill drilling program. The program targets the down-plunge extensions of the RAS deposit. The primary objective of this drilling is to improve the definition of the Inferred Resource in the northern extent of the deposit. Santana aims to upgrade the Inferred Resource to the Indicated category, potentially allowing its inclusion in future mine plans.
Significant assay results include MDD450R with 31.9m @ 5.3g/t Au from 303.1m, MDD458 with 11.1m @ 9.6 g/t Au from 296.9m, and MDD462 with 9.0m @ 4.1 g/t Au from 305m and 5.0m @ 13.4 g/t Au from 332m. Visible gold was observed in hole MDD450R, which is characteristic of the system’s high-grade core. These findings suggest that the orebody’s continuity, particularly its high-grade core, is primarily limited by current drill density.
The infill program at RAS North is ongoing, with the continuous aim to upgrade Inferred Resources to the Indicated category and to explore extensions of the ore system. These results will be used to update the resource model and further refine mine planning scenarios.
