Lahontan Gold Corp. (TSXV: LG) (OTCQB: LGCXF) has released final analytical results from its 2025 maiden drilling program at the West Santa Fe project, located 13 kilometers from its flagship Santa Fe Mine project in Nevada's Walker Lane region. The final reverse-circulation drill hole, WSF25-04R, returned 36.6 meters grading 3.11 grams per tonne gold equivalent from surface, including a high-grade interval of 10.7 meters at 5.75 grams per tonne gold equivalent, all within oxide mineralization. Additional intervals within the hole reached up to 12.04 grams per tonne gold equivalent, demonstrating the presence of substantial precious metal concentrations.
The drilling results correlate with historic data and define a near-surface oxide gold and silver zone measuring approximately 500 by 350 meters. This geological continuity supports the potential for low-cost open pit mining and heap-leach processing development, which could significantly reduce operational expenses compared to more complex underground or refractory ore processing methods. The company's management is advancing geologic modeling based on these findings and planning a follow-up spring drilling campaign targeting extensions of the mineralized system.
These developments at West Santa Fe represent a strategic expansion of Lahontan's regional presence in Nevada's prolific Walker Lane mineral belt. The company holds four exploration properties in this mining-friendly jurisdiction through its US subsidiaries, with the Santa Fe Mine project serving as its flagship operation. Historical production at Santa Fe between 1988 and 1995 yielded 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing, demonstrating the technical viability of this extraction method in the region.
The Santa Fe Mine currently hosts a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 ounces gold equivalent and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 ounces gold equivalent, all pit-constrained. Mineral resources are reported using a cut-off grade of 0.15 grams per tonne gold equivalent for oxide resources and 0.60 grams per tonne gold equivalent for non-oxide resources, with gold equivalent calculations based on assumptions including a gold price of US$1,950 per ounce and silver price of US$23.50 per ounce. The technical content of the company's disclosure has been reviewed and approved by Michael Lindholm, CPG, Independent Consulting Geologist to Lahontan Gold Corp., who is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.
The West Santa Fe results have broader implications for the mining industry and investment community. Successful exploration at satellite projects like West Santa Fe can extend mine life, increase resource bases, and create operational synergies with existing infrastructure. For investors, these results demonstrate ongoing exploration success that could enhance the company's valuation and development timeline. The company plans to continue advancing the Santa Fe Mine project toward production, update the Santa Fe Preliminary Economic Assessment, and conduct further drilling at West Santa Fe during 2025. Additional information about the company is available at https://www.lahontangoldcorp.com, while the full technical report for the Santa Fe Project is accessible through regulatory filings.
