Lahontan Gold Corp. Advances Santa Fe Mine with Strategic Drill Program Targeting Resource Conversion

Lahontan Gold Corp. has mobilized a track-mounted MDP-1500 RC drill to its flagship Santa Fe Mine in Nevada's Walker Lane trend. The company is conducting a 25-hole, 4,000-meter drill program focused on expanding and upgrading oxide gold and silver resources. These updates underscore Lahontan's long-term strategy of advancing Santa Fe from exploration into planning, scheduling, and permitting for the coming year. Lahontan Gold is accelerating its flagship Santa Fe Mine by organizing a reverse-circulation drill rig to conduct a strategic fall drill program aimed at upgrading and expanding the project's shallow oxide reserve. The company, known for its position within the Walker Lane trend, is shifting its focus from broad resource definition to more technical groundwork that precedes mine planning and permitting, indicating progress in Santa Fe's efforts toward mineral exploitation as detailed in their latest update available at https://ibn.fm/2cvRQ.

Lahontan currently has a program of 25 drill holes summing up to 4,000 meters with a focus on the York and Slab zones. These areas contain near-surface oxidation mineralization where previous drilling has shown extensive silver-gold potential. The coming RC campaign is designed to transform resources from inferred to indicated categories, which is essential for advancing toward a mine plan. This resource conversion work is a prerequisite for the detailed engineering and environmental studies required for permitting. The mobilization of the drill rig represents a tangible step in executing this phase of work, moving the project closer to potential production.

The importance of this drill program lies in its direct impact on the project's economic viability and timeline. By upgrading resources, Lahontan can enhance the confidence level of the mineral inventory, which is critical for securing financing and advancing through regulatory processes. The focus on shallow oxide mineralization is strategically significant because oxide deposits are typically lower-cost to process compared to sulfide ores, potentially improving project economics. The Santa Fe Mine's location in the prolific Walker Lane trend adds geological promise, but converting that potential into a defined, permitted asset requires this systematic drill data. This work positions Lahontan to meet key milestones leading into 2026, aligning with their stated path toward mine planning. The company's news and updates are available in their newsroom at https://ibn.fm/LGCXF, providing ongoing transparency to stakeholders. This drill program, therefore, is not merely exploratory but a targeted effort to de-risk the project and build a foundation for future development decisions, reflecting a maturation from early-stage exploration to pre-development activities.