Fast-tracking gold with rich finds

Minute 41 Forces a Strategic Timetable Recalibration

The Expert Panel's Minute 41 nudged Santana's consent process later than originally planned. The Panel wanted its own statutory assessment and decision-making schedule to align with Santana's submission window. Holiday-period impacts were also factored in. MarketScreener notes the company accepted the revised timeline rather than push back against the Panel's guidance.

Santana has been running extensive consultations, hearings, and technical investigations to meet environmental and regulatory standards under New Zealand's Fast Track consent pathway. The company has now spent roughly NZ$17.7 million on the Fast Track process in total — a figure that signals just how much is riding on a successful outcome. The firm says substantive deliberations should follow shortly after the August deadline.

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Bonanza Gold Hit Strengthens the Economic Case

MDD528's 24.4-metre intercept at 10.9 g/t is the standout result from infill drilling in the Rise and Shine high-grade core — the zone that holds the bulk of the deposit's ounces. The 2.0-metre sub-zone at 89.5 g/t, complete with visible gold, is what miners call a bonanza hit. MarketScreener says this result supports a higher-grade initial ore schedule for the project.

Two supporting holes confirmed the mineralisation keeps going. MDD526 returned 2.0 metres at 8.5 g/t from 172 metres and 10.0 metres at 2.9 g/t from 179 metres. MDD527 added 5.0 metres at 1.3 g/t from 176 metres and 11.0 metres at 1.0 g/t from 188 metres. Taken together, Kalkine says the results show strong continuity across the core zone.

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Open-Pit Access to Deeper High-Grade Zones Eyed

Santana says the drilling suggests open-pit mining could reach deeper, high-grade portions of the Rise and Shine orebody. That matters because open-pit methods are cheaper than underground mining. If the high-grade core can be accessed from surface, project economics improve significantly. MarketScreener reports Santana is using these results to reinforce confidence ahead of the regulatory decision.

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What Happens Next: 2026 Consent, 2027 Development

With final consent conditions due by 28 August 2026, the Panel is expected to move into substantive deliberations soon after. If approvals come through on schedule, Santana is targeting development activity in early 2027. The company frames Bendigo-Ophir as economically significant for New Zealand's gold sector and for local stakeholders in Central Otago.

Santana's NZ$17.7 million investment in the consent process shows it is not treating this as a low-stakes exercise. The company has ruled out any further delays on its end. All eyes now turn to the Expert Panel's assessment — and whether the strong drilling data helps seal a positive outcome before the end of the year.