Lahontan Gold Advances Santa Fe Mine Permitting and Exploration
Event summary
- Lahontan Gold expects to complete an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Santa Fe Mine Project within weeks.
- The company targets completion of a revised Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) by the end of August 2026.
- 87 drill holes totaling 7,751 meters have been completed year-to-date, with more planned.
- Historic heap leach pad drilling is underway to evaluate potential reprocessing opportunities.
The big picture
Lahontan's progress at Santa Fe highlights the advantages of brownfield restarts over greenfield projects, offering lower capital costs and shorter development timelines. The company's ability to leverage existing infrastructure positions it favorably in Nevada's competitive mining landscape. Success here could set a precedent for other brownfield restart opportunities in the region.
What we're watching
- Permitting Timeline
- Whether Lahontan can maintain its 2027 construction start date despite fluid federal and state permitting processes.
- Resource Expansion
- The pace at which new discoveries like Slab West could expand the mineral resource base.
- Reprocessing Potential
- How significant the residual gold and silver in historic heap leach pads prove to be for future production.