Power Minerals Pyrochlore Hits 73.9% Nb₂O₅, Clearing Path to Recovery Testwork
Key Takeaways
- Power Minerals' mineralogical study returned an average of 68.8% Nb₂O₅ and a peak of 73.9% in Santa Anna pyrochlore, from 118 analyses across 38 drill core samples.
- Santa Anna's average sits above Araxá (about 63 to 66 wt%) and Niobec (65.76% to 68.60%), though Catalão I's range also reaches about 73%.
- The figures are single-grain compositions, not whole-rock grade, which is what ultimately drives deposit economics.
- Earlier whole-rock drilling includes 14m at 0.76% Nb₂O₅ from 6m and a peak of 1m at 3.36% Nb₂O₅, showing shallow niobium mineralisation.
- Metallurgical testwork and additional geophysical surveys are next, but no timelines, resource estimate or funding details were disclosed.
Santa Anna pyrochlore returns up to 73.9% Nb₂O₅ in mineralogical study
A petrographic and mineralogical study of drill core from the Santa Anna Niobium and Rare Earths Project in Goiás State, Brazil, has confirmed that niobium is hosted in niobium-rich pyrochlore. Power Minerals Limited (ASX: PNN | OTCQB: PEIMF) reported an average of 68.8% Nb₂O₅ and a maximum of 73.9% Nb₂O₅ from 118 analyses across 38 drill core samples.
Nb₂O₅ is niobium pentoxide, the standard way niobium content is measured. The company says the results place the analysed pyrochlore toward the upper end of reported Nb₂O₅ compositions from selected major carbonatite-hosted niobium deposits globally.
For investors, the study gives a mineralogical basis for planned metallurgical testwork, the stage where a company tests how well the niobium can actually be recovered.
Alistair Stephens, Chief Executive Officer
“Based on more than a decade of experience with niobium projects, I believe these results place the Santa Anna pyrochlore toward the upper end of reported Nb₂O₅ compositions from selected major carbonatite-hosted niobium deposits. This gives us a strong mineralogical basis for planning metallurgical testwork and evaluating pyrochlore beneficiation approaches.”
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How does Santa Anna pyrochlore compare with major niobium deposits?
Benchmarking against Araxá, Catalão I and Niobec
The company compared its results with published pyrochlore compositions from selected major operating niobium projects. Santa Anna’s average and maximum sit within the higher end of the reported range.
| Deposit | Location | Reported Nb₂O₅ in pyrochlore |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Anna | Goiás State, Brazil | Average 68.8%, maximum 73.9% |
| Araxá (bariopyrochlore) | Brazil | Approximately 63 to 66 wt% |
| Catalão I | Brazil | Approximately 52% to 73% |
| Niobec | Canada | 65.76% to 68.60% |
The comparison covers selected deposits only, so it does not show Santa Anna as the highest-grade or best example. Catalão I’s published range, for instance, reaches approximately 73%.
A separate figure in the announcement compares the calcium and niobium content of Santa Anna pyrochlore with the same mineral from other major deposits. The company says it shows the common supergene alteration trend seen in many deposits.
Critical caveat
These figures are analyses of individual pyrochlore grains. They do not represent the niobium grade of the whole rock, which is what ultimately matters for a deposit’s economics.
What is pyrochlore, and why does it matter for investors?
Pyrochlore is a primary mineral source of niobium. At Santa Anna, the niobium-bearing pyrochlore appears as euhedral crystals (well-formed crystals) of approximately 30 μm to 300 μm, or 0.03 to 0.3 millimetres.
Knowing which mineral holds the niobium matters because it guides the evaluation of potential mineral-recovery processes and planned metallurgical testwork. In plain terms, it helps the company decide how to go about extracting the metal.
Key details of the study include:
- Methods: optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-ED) and electron probe microanalysis wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (EPMA-WDS)
- Two principal lithologies (rock types): phoscorites consisting of apatite, magnetite or iron silicates, and mica (tetraferriphlogopite); and predominantly calcite-dolomite carbonates containing minor ankerite
- Monazite: where observed, monazite mineralisation occurs in clusters
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Drilling results and next steps at Santa Anna
Previous whole-rock results
Whole-rock drilling is the measure that reflects actual deposit grade. The company pointed to earlier announced intercepts, including:
- 51m at 0.30% Nb₂O₅ from surface to end of hole, including 2m at 2.04% from 5m (MN-RC-0004)
- 76m at 0.34% Nb₂O₅ from 24m to end of hole, including 26m at 0.53% from 24m (MN-RC-045)
- 14m at 0.76% Nb₂O₅ from 6m, including 5m at 1.30% from 14m (MN-AC-0031)
- 87m at 0.21% Nb₂O₅ from 24m, including 3m at 1.01% from 24m (MN-RC-028)
The peak result was 1m at 3.36% Nb₂O₅ from 19m, within 4m at 0.98% from 18m (MN-RC-0002).
Santa Anna drilling results across the broader project have repeatedly returned shallow niobium intercepts, which is why the whole-rock grades matter more to deposit economics than individual grain compositions.
What comes next
The mineralogical results will be used in planned metallurgical testwork programs. Additional geophysical surveys are also planned to better understand the distribution of the deposit’s niobium mineralisation.
The Santa Anna intrusion is one of the most recent Alkaline Carbonatite Complex discoveries in Brazil, identified in 2021 by regional geophysics. The circular complex is approximately 2.5km across and covered by thin soil.
Power Minerals has been progressively exploring the area since 2025, but some areas have little to no drilling. The announcement does not disclose timelines, a resource estimate or funding details.
The announcement is dated 16 February 2026.
Ready to Learn More About the Santa Anna Niobium and Rare Earths Project?
Power Minerals’ mineralogical study returned an average of 68.8% Nb₂O₅ in pyrochlore, with a maximum of 73.9%, giving a strong basis for planned metallurgical testwork. Whole-rock drilling has also delivered shallow intercepts, including 1m at 3.36% Nb₂O₅.
Explore the Power Minerals investor page to review the company’s latest announcements and project updates. Discover how Santa Anna could progress as testwork and geophysical surveys get underway.