Lahontan Gold Receives BLM Approval for Major Expansion at Nevada's Santa Fe Mine
Lahontan Gold Corp. secured federal approval for a significantly expanded exploration program at its Santa Fe Mine in Nevada, enabling the company to test high-priority targets across a 12.2 km² area that could substantially increase gold and silver resources.
The Bureau of Land Management has approved Lahontan Gold Corp.'s expanded Exploration Plan of Operations for the Santa Fe Mine project in Nevada, concluding the NEPA Environmental Assessment process and authorizing the company to advance a significantly expanded drilling and development program. This regulatory milestone permits exploration across a 12.2 km² area with more than 700 drill holes targeting new geologic and geochemical anomalies, historic high-grade intercepts and multiple untested zones beyond the current gold and silver resources.
The approval represents a critical step forward for the Canadian mining company's flagship Nevada property, which already contains substantial mineral resources. The Santa Fe Mine project holds a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,539,000 ounces of gold equivalent and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 411,000 ounces of gold equivalent, all pit constrained. The property has a significant production history, having yielded 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing.
The expanded exploration program will focus on high-priority targets including the Pinnacles area and Guzzler zone, which represent untested potential for additional resource growth. 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. For additional technical details, investors can review the Preliminary Economic Assessment available through the company's website at https://www.lahontangoldcorp.com.
This regulatory approval comes at a strategic time for the company, which plans to continue advancing the Santa Fe Mine project towards production, update the Santa Fe Preliminary Economic Assessment, and drill test its satellite West Santa Fe project during 2025. The expanded exploration authority provides Lahontan with the regulatory framework to systematically test the property's full potential beyond the currently defined resources. The company maintains additional information through its corporate communications channels, with latest updates available at http://ibn.fm/LGCXF.
The significance of this development extends beyond the immediate exploration activities, as successful expansion of resources at Santa Fe could position the project for future production decisions in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Nevada's Walker Lane region, where Lahontan holds four exploration properties including Santa Fe, represents one of North America's most prolific gold districts. The comprehensive approval process demonstrates the company's ability to navigate complex regulatory requirements while advancing its strategic objectives in a responsible manner.