Lahontan Drills Thick, Shallow Gold: 114m Grading 0.33 g/t Au Eq at York; 23m Grading 0.42 g/t Au Eq at Slab
Low-Grade Oxide Expansion Continues as Lahontan Proves Scale Ahead of 2026 Resource Update
The news release dated January 13, 2026, reports initial drilling results from the Phase Two 2025 program at the flagship Santa Fe Mine project in Nevada. Key intercepts include 114.3 meters of 0.33 g/t Au Eq at the York zone and 22.9 meters of 0.42 g/t Au Eq at the Slab zone. The York results are significant as they expand the gold mineralization footprint to the north, outside of the current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) pit shell. The Slab results confirm shallow oxide mineralization that could potentially deepen the planned pit in an upcoming MRE update. Results for an additional 13 holes (7 at Santa Fe, 6 at West Santa Fe) are pending.
The impact is Routine - Positive. While the widths are impressive (114 meters), the grades are relatively low (0.33 - 0.42 g/t Au Eq). - Resource Growth: The results confirm that the mineralization at York and Slab is not yet closed off, supporting management’s goal of expanding the resource base. - Operational De-risking: The mineralization is shallow and oxidized, which is essential for the heap-leach model proposed in the company’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). - Consistency: The results align with previous Phase One results (e.g., 89.9m of 0.23 g/t Au in Sept 2025) and validate the company's geological modeling. - Comparison to MRE: The reported grades (0.33-0.42 g/t) are lower than the current Indicated Resource grade of 0.99 g/t Au Eq, suggesting that while these intercepts add tonnage, they may dilute the overall average grade unless higher-grade pockets are identified in pending assays.
Lahontan Gold Corp. is a junior explorer focused on the Walker Lane trend in Nevada. Its flagship is the Santa Fe Mine, a past-producing open-pit heap-leach operation (1988–1995). - Flagship Project: Santa Fe Mine Project. - Current Resource: 1.5M oz Au Eq Indicated (0.99 g/t) and 0.4M oz Au Eq Inferred (0.76 g/t). - Other Assets: West Santa Fe (13km away), Moho, and Redlich projects.