The newly discovered Rise and Shine (RAS) Ridge area is the sweet spot for modern-day explorer, Santana Minerals Ltd, which is beginning to investigate what is needed for a full working mine.
The Australian-based mineral exploration company’s new general manager New Zealand, Damian Spring of Arrowtown, is tasked with defining the future mining site near Tarras.
Director Kim Bunting said RAS Ridge assay results, released on November 29 to the Australian Stock Exchange, continued to reveal gold grades "that old-timers would have been very content to get".
"At RAS Ridge we are fortunate the area was hidden and the old timers did not expect the northerly extensions.
"Exploration continues through the holiday period though reduced numbers with two drilling rigs and crews and our processing team.
"We will be back to five rigs once the end of year break is over," Mr Bunting said.
Mr Spring said he was looking forward to beginning work on the feasibility and environmental studies, as well as community engagement and statutory requirements.
"Generally my scope is to turn it from a discovery into a mine that produces gold."
"The thing right now is we need to understand what we have got. The ecology, other parts of the environment, the community, the political space, district council, regional council, what would the [potential] gold mine look like. I am a mining engineer by background. So it is a case of using those techniques to determine the size of the mine and rate of mining, whether it is open pit or underground, where the infrastructure might go.
"Metallurgical testing will help us to start, at some point, looking at the process of plant design and all those aspects ... You need to have those parts reasonably defined before you go seek funding," he said.
Baseline studies include establishing ground water and other environment and cultural factors.
The modest workforce was big enough for now, but a few extra staff may be needed soon.
It would be a long time before there was a fully defined, fully consented gold mine.
By then, Santana Minerals would be well on track to understanding what the future workforce requirements would be, Mr Spring said.
How good is the gold?
Global inferred gold resource estimate (MRE) of 1.9 million ounces at 1.8 grams per tonne in July 2022
Drilling at Rise and Shine ridge returned higher-grade results and greater thickness in November, compared with July.
An upgraded mineral resource estimate from drilling between July and December is scheduled for release in late January.
Source: Santana Minerals release to ASX, November 29, 2022
