Santana Minerals (ASX:SMI) has reported a step-out drill success at its Rise and Shine gold deposit, with hole MDD490 intersecting a broad 38.6m mineralised zone grading 1.70g/t gold, including 13.6m at 2.42g/t Au, approximately 135m north of previous drilling limits.
The intercept, hosted within the thickest silicified breccia encountered at the project to date, confirms substantial down-plunge thickening of the mineralised system and highlights favourable conditions for continued gold deposition at depth.
The step-out extends the known mineralisation to roughly 2.15km down-plunge and lies about 465m beyond the area used for the current RAS mineral resource estimate, indicating potential for substantial orebody extensions and a higher-grade core suitable for underground mining.
In parallel, Santana has lodged a 135km2 prospecting permit application with New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals to explore the northern extension of the Rise and Shine Shear Zone.
CEO Damian Spring described the result as "highly significant," noting that the intercept demonstrates continuity to approximately 690m vertical depth and underlines the scale and longevity potential of the project.
Follow-up drilling from the Ardgour Ridge site is planned, pending regulatory approvals, to further define the down-plunge extension and support future resource conversion.
At the time of reporting, Santana Minerals' share price was $0.95.