Lahontan Receives BLM Approval Of Santa Fe Exploration Plan Of Operations
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On November 13, 2025, Lahontan Gold Corp. announced it has received approval from the Federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its Exploration Plan of Operations (EPOO) at the Santa Fe Mine project in Nevada. This approval concludes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Environmental Assessment process and authorizes an expanded exploration drilling and mine development program for the project. The CEO, Kimberly Ann, stated this is a "landmark milestone" that lifts previous restrictions, allowing the company to explore a much larger 12.2 km² area and test multiple high-priority targets.
The approval of the Santa Fe EPOO is a material and positive catalyst for Lahontan Gold. While this was an expected milestone that the company has been messaging throughout 2025, its successful completion is a significant de-risking event that confirms management's ability to navigate the US federal permitting process.
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Unlocking Exploration Potential: The company was previously constrained to a five-acre disturbance area. The EPOO approval expands this to 12.2 km², covering the entire project area. This is critical as it allows for systematic step-out drilling from known resources at the Slab and York deposits and testing of new grassroots targets. This was a stated goal in news releases from March 18, August 26, and September 25, 2025, and its achievement is fundamental to the company's strategy of expanding the resource base outlined in the December 2024 PEA.
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Execution on Timeline: Management had guided for a late 2025 approval for the POO. Delivering on this timeline builds credibility and demonstrates effective project management and government relations.
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Path to Development: This permit is not just for exploration; it authorizes activities related to mine development. Combined with the ongoing Fall 2025 drill program (announced November 10) and metallurgical test work (announced June 24), this approval clears a major hurdle on the path towards a potential production decision.
In the context of the past year, Lahontan has systematically addressed key risks. It resolved the Victoria Gold share overhang (Dec 2024), recapitalized its balance sheet through multiple financings and warrant exercises (Feb, Apr, Oct 2025), strengthened its board with mine-building expertise (Apr 2025), and now has secured the key permit to meaningfully advance its flagship asset. The market has anticipated this progress, with the stock price increasing significantly since early 2025. This news validates that run-up and provides a clear path for the next phase of value creation through exploration.
Lahontan Gold Corp. is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on advancing its gold and silver projects in the Walker Lane district of Nevada, a Tier-1 mining jurisdiction.
Its flagship asset is the past-producing Santa Fe Mine project. From 1988-1995, the project produced approximately 359,000 ounces of gold and 702,000 ounces of silver from several open pits via heap-leach processing. The company released a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) in December 2024, which outlined a potential low-capex, 9-year life of mine operation. As of October 2024, the project hosts a pit-constrained indicated resource of 1.54 million gold-equivalent ounces and an inferred resource of 411,000 gold-equivalent ounces. The company's strategy is to expand this resource base and advance the project back towards production.