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July 8th, 2026 | 07:35 CEST

Lahontan Gold: Three Gold Sources, One Historic Mine, a Clear Roadmap to Gold Production

  • Mining
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Commodities
  • Nevada
Photo credits: Pixabay

The countdown is on! While gold prices remain high, Lahontan Gold in Nevada is preparing to begin production. The drilling results from the past few weeks paint a picture that goes far beyond the usual exploration business. This is not the usual hype surrounding yet another drill hole in the desert. What is currently unfolding at Lahontan Gold is of a different calibre. Here, they are not just searching for gold; they are reviving a mine that was already in production back in the late 1980s. The infrastructure is in place, permits are nearing approval, and three separate gold sources promise a rare combination of low risk and significant upside potential. For investors familiar with the commodities sector, these are exactly the ingredients that turn a junior project into a genuine production contender.

time to read: 4 minutes | Author: Armin Schulz
ISIN: LAHONTAN GOLD CORP | CA50732M1014 | TSXV: LG , OTCQB: LGCXF

Table of contents:


    A Classic Example of Brownfield Development

    The Santa Fe Mine is not a greenfield project. Between 1988 and 1994, Corona Gold extracted 359,202 ounces of gold and 702,067 ounces of silver from this open-pit mine before the gold price fell to USD 360 and operations were suspended. What remains is worth its weight in gold by today's standards: three water wells, a dedicated substation, and existing roads. Anyone who has ever developed a mining project from the ground up knows that this infrastructure saves not only time but, above all, capital.

    The current resource base speaks for itself. 1.54 million ounces in the "Indicated" category and 0.41 million in "Inferred," with an average grade of 0.93 g/t gold equivalent. This ranks the company third among Nevada operations in terms of highest grades, ahead of many producing operations.

    Updated MRE: A Milestone in Sight

    The updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) is imminent. Work is nearly complete—despite moderate delays caused by the heavy workload of technical consultants in Nevada. The company has used this waiting period to further refine the models for grades, metallurgy, and geology. The new MRE will form the basis for the revised preliminary economic assessment (PEA), which is scheduled to be completed by September.

    Drilling is underway

    200,000 ounces that no one had on their radar

    Perhaps the most fascinating chapter in the current development is unfolding at the old heap-leach tailings piles. Historically, these were considered largely written off. Recent investigations using a specialized sonic drilling device revealed a surprising finding. The tailings piles contain an estimated 200,000 ounces of gold.

    CEO Kimberly Ann commented: "Lahontan has completed 87 drill holes totaling 7,751 m in 2026 so far, with more to follow. We remain on schedule to begin construction in 2027. The Santa Fe Mine is a classic brownfield redevelopment project, in which we are leveraging existing infrastructure and technical expertise. This enables us to resume production with lower capital costs, in a shorter timeframe, and with significantly lower implementation risk than a comparable greenfield project—a benefit to all stakeholders."

    With a projected grade of 0.45–0.6 g/t, this material would rank among the highest grades in Nevada. Over 100 drill holes are being used to accurately verify this resource. The material is already crushed and stockpiled. Therefore, there are no additional mining costs. Simply load it, transport it via the existing road to the processing facility, and process it.

    Slab West: A New Discovery with Substance

    The drill results reported in June from the new Slab West zone surprised even experienced industry experts. What originally began as a geotechnical program to prepare for permitting brought to light a previously undiscovered gold zone. The best intervals included 35.0 m at 0.34 g/t gold equivalent and 61.0 m at 0.26 g/t gold equivalent.

    The mineralization remains open in all directions. This is no fluke, but rather an indication of a larger system. The zone covers a considerable area, has good continuity, and is located near existing infrastructure.

    West Santa Fe: The Second Pillar

    Just 13 km away, the West Santa Fe satellite project is emerging as an increasingly important pillar. Recent drilling confirmed historical data and, in some cases, exceeded it. Cyanide leaching tests yielded 81% gold and 60% silver recoveries. These are excellent figures for heap leach processing.

    The mineralization begins right at surface. Silver was already mined here in the 1930s. Today, grades of 6–8 g/t silver are found. The ore could be extracted via open-pit mining and transported to the main processing plant. The permitting process for this is already underway.

    Financing and Timeline: A Company in Transition

    The company is fully funded through 2027, thanks to a CAD 13.6 million capital increase and outstanding warrants. The exercise of warrants is an often-underestimated signal. In April and May, investors took the opportunity to exercise their warrants. Those who do not exercise their warrants lose them. The fact that a large portion of the warrants were exercised indicates that insiders and early investors see sufficient value to invest more in the project.

    The timeline is ambitious. The construction permit is expected in the first quarter of 2027, and the construction phase is projected to last about 6 months. The first gold pour could take place as early as the third or fourth quarter of 2027.

    The 2025 preliminary economic assessment (PEA) showed a 1.8-year payback period based on a gold price of USD 1,950 per ounce.

    Looking Ahead

    The coming weeks will bring key data points, with the updated MRE and the PEA expected in September. Drilling results from Slab West are still being evaluated, and the investigation of the heap-leach pads is progressing. What sets Lahontan Gold apart from other exploration stories is the combination of existing infrastructure, historical production, new discoveries, and a clear roadmap to production. The risk is more manageable than with a greenfield project—the potential is not.

    The share is currently trading at around CAD 0.36.

    Chart of Lahontan Gold, as of July 7, 2026. Source: Refinitiv

    The pieces of the puzzle at Lahontan Gold are falling into place, and the picture is becoming increasingly clear. A company moving from exploration toward production. An asset with a history that is currently writing its best chapters. And a gold price that not only enables profitability but also underpins it. For investors who want to take the next step in a mining project's value chain, a rare opportunity is emerging here. The direction is right.


    Conflict of interest

    Pursuant to §85 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG), we point out that Apaton Finance GmbH as well as partners, authors or employees of Apaton Finance GmbH (hereinafter referred to as "Relevant Persons") currently hold or hold shares or other financial instruments of the aforementioned companies and speculate on their price developments. In this respect, they intend to sell or acquire shares or other financial instruments of the companies (hereinafter each referred to as a "Transaction"). Transactions may thereby influence the respective price of the shares or other financial instruments of the Company.
    In this respect, there is a concrete conflict of interest in the reporting on the companies.

    In addition, Apaton Finance GmbH is active in the context of the preparation and publication of the reporting in paid contractual relationships.
    For this reason, there is also a concrete conflict of interest.
    The above information on existing conflicts of interest applies to all types and forms of publication used by Apaton Finance GmbH for publications on companies.

    Risk notice

    Apaton Finance GmbH offers editors, agencies and companies the opportunity to publish commentaries, interviews, summaries, news and the like on news.financial. These contents are exclusively for the information of the readers and do not represent any call to action or recommendations, neither explicitly nor implicitly they are to be understood as an assurance of possible price developments. The contents do not replace individual expert investment advice and do not constitute an offer to sell the discussed share(s) or other financial instruments, nor an invitation to buy or sell such.

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    Der Autor

    Armin Schulz

    Born in Mönchengladbach, he studied business administration in the Netherlands. In the course of his studies he came into contact with the stock exchange for the first time. He has more than 25 years of experience in stock market business.

    About the author



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