Santana Minerals has returned high-grade gold intercepts from two further infill drill holes at the Rise and Shine South deposit, forming part of the Bendigo-Ophir gold project in Otago, New Zealand.

The infill programme is targeting areas central to the early mining sequence, with the objective of reducing drill spacing to 25 metres on section.

Drill hole MDD529 intersected 20.7 metres at 4.8 grams per tonne gold from 168.8 metres, with a true width of 17.5 metres, alongside a second interval of 2.3 metres at 19.7 grams per tonne gold from 198 metres.

Drill hole MDD530 returned multiple mineralised intervals, including 25.8 metres at 1.1 grams per tonne gold from 152.5 metres, 11.0 metres at 8.5 grams per tonne gold from 182.0 metres, and 11.3 metres at 7.3 grams per tonne gold from 234.0 metres.

The company stated that the deeper 11.3-metre intercept in MDD530 appears to represent a stacked repetition situated beneath the primary high-grade core, known as the HG1 domain. Geological interpretation indicates that the series of infill holes has allowed the HG1 domain to be projected further to the west, with MDD530 confirming grade continuity that links with previous drilling. Dilatational breccias marked by millimetre-scale visible gold were noted throughout the core samples.

"The tighter we drill this HG1 domain, the better and more consistent it becomes. It allows us to enhance our early mining strategy for the areas of planned open pit mining as we advance towards a development decision."

"We are genuinely excited by the numerous deeper high-grade intercepts from what appears to be a parallel stacked zone beneath the previously planned pit limits. As these begin to hang together, they open a whole new dimension to the ore system at RAS"

— Damian Spring, CEO

The Bendigo-Ophir gold project was previously the subject of an updated pre-feasibility study released by Santana Minerals on July 1, 2025, following earlier infill drilling results announced on July 7, 2026. The company is continuing its active infill drilling campaign, with three holes remaining to be completed in the current programme as it advances toward a formal development decision.

Read the full announcement: Infill drilling continues to upgrade RAS high-grade core