Santana Minerals Hits 20.7m at 4.8g/t Gold as Infill Drilling Sharpens Mine Case
Key Takeaways
- Infill holes MDD529 and MDD530 at Rise and Shine South returned multiple high-grade intercepts, including 20.7m @ 4.8 g/t Au and 11.0m @ 8.5 g/t Au, reinforcing the continuity of the HG1 domain.
- MDD530's deepest intercept — 11.3m @ 7.3 g/t Au from 234.0m — sits beneath the planned open pit limits and signals a potential stacked parallel zone that could materially expand the ore system.
- MDD530 has resolved a previously ambiguous geological link to earlier hole MDD125, directly supporting the extension of the HG1 domain and strengthening the resource model.
- Three holes remain in the current infill programme, meaning further near-term results are expected as Santana advances toward a development decision at the Bendigo Ophir Gold Project.
- Concurrent metallurgical, environmental, geotechnical, and hydrological studies are running alongside drilling, indicating the company is progressing multiple pre-mining workstreams simultaneously.
Infill drilling sharpens the high-grade picture at Rise and Shine
Two new diamond drill holes from the ongoing infill programme at Santana Minerals (ASX: SMI) have returned strong high-grade gold intercepts at Rise and Shine (RAS) South, reinforcing the size and continuity of the deposit’s high-grade core (HG1 domain). The results from holes MDD529 and MDD530, announced 3 September 2026, follow previous infill results reported on 7 and 27 July 2026, signalling a programme with building momentum. The infill work is targeting 25m drill spacing on section across areas central to the early mining sequence at the Bendigo Ophir Gold Project.
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Drilling results deliver on multiple fronts
Both holes returned high-grade intercepts across multiple intervals. The headline results are:
MDD529:
- 20.7m @ 4.8 g/t Au from 168.8m (true width 17.5m)
- 2.3m @ 19.7 g/t Au from 198m (true width 1.9m)
MDD530:
- 25.8m @ 1.1 g/t Au from 152.5m (true width 22.9m)
- 11.0m @ 8.5 g/t Au from 182.0m (true width 9.7m)
- 11.3m @ 7.3 g/t Au from 234.0m (true width 10.0m)
| Hole ID | From (m) | Drill Intercept (m) | True Width (m) | Grade (g/t Au) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDD529 | 168.8 | 20.7 | 17.5 | 4.8 |
| MDD529 | 198.0 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 19.7 |
| MDD530 | 152.5 | 25.8 | 22.9 | 1.1 |
| MDD530 | 182.0 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 8.5 |
| MDD530 | 234.0 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 7.3 |
A deeper zone emerges beneath the planned pit
MDD530’s deepest intercept, 11.3m @ 7.3 g/t Au from 234.0m, appears to represent another stacked deeper repetition beneath the HG1 domain. The deeper stratigraphy remains relatively untested, and the company has described this as an emerging opportunity beneath the planned open pit limits. This is not a confirmed interpretation, and investors should treat it as an early-stage signal rather than an established geological conclusion.
Damian Spring, CEO
“The tighter we drill this HG1 domain, the better and more consistent it becomes. It allows us to enhance our early mining strategy for the areas of planned open pit mining as we advance towards a development decision. We are genuinely excited by the numerous deeper high-grade intercepts from what appears to be a parallel stacked zone beneath the previously planned pit limits. As these begin to hang together, they open a whole new dimension to the ore system at RAS.”
What is infill drilling and why does it matter to investors?
Infill drilling means going back into a known mineralised area and drilling additional holes between existing ones, reducing the distance between data points to build a more detailed and confident picture of the deposit’s grade and geometry.
Why does tighter spacing matter? Under the JORC Code (the standard framework for reporting mineral resources in Australia and New Zealand), resource confidence is classified in three tiers: Inferred, Indicated, and Measured. Inferred resources carry the least certainty. By drilling more holes at closer intervals, a company can upgrade those resources to Indicated or Measured categories. That upgrade is required before resources can be converted into Ore Reserves, which in turn is a prerequisite for securing mine financing and making a formal development decision.
For Santana Minerals, the infill programme is targeting 25m spacing on section across the areas central to the early mining sequence. Every hole that returns consistent high-grade results directly supports the company’s pathway toward a development decision at the Bendigo Ophir Gold Project.
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Investment case: tightening the grid, advancing the timeline
Two angles are worth understanding here. First, the HG1 domain is becoming better-defined and more consistent with each infill hole drilled, reinforcing confidence in the grade and geometry underpinning the early mining sequence. Second, the emerging deeper zone intersected in MDD530 introduces a potential upside dimension that sits outside the current planned pit, opening a question the company is clearly keen to answer with further drilling.
There is also a specific geological development worth noting. Previously, the link between the HG1 domain and the earlier hole MDD125 was considered ambiguous. MDD530 now demonstrates clear grade continuity, supporting the extension of the domain and carrying direct implications for resource modelling.
Throughout both holes, the presence of dilatational breccias (DBX) with millimetre-scale visible gold has been noted. Dilatational breccias are zones where rock has fractured and opened under stress, creating voids that gold-bearing fluids can fill. Their occurrence here is a positive geological quality signal.
Three holes remain in the current infill programme, meaning near-term news flow is likely. Alongside the drilling, metallurgical, environmental, geotechnical, and hydrological studies are ongoing concurrently to support the pre-mining studies the company requires before any mining decision can be made. The source is clear that Santana Minerals is advancing towards a development decision, not that one has been made or is imminent.
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