Santana Minerals (ASX:SMI) Is Up 10.0% After Securing 25-Year Permit for Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project

  • In recent days, Santana Minerals Limited was granted a 25-year mining permit for its Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project in Central Otago, New Zealand, giving it full legal rights to extract and process gold from the Rise & Shine and adjacent deposits.

  • This development represents a major milestone for the company, with construction poised to begin upon receiving environmental and development approvals, paving the way for potential first gold production.

  • We’ll explore how securing these long-term extraction rights could influence Santana Minerals’ overall investment narrative and future growth prospects.

These 13 companies survived and thrived after COVID and have the right ingredients to survive Trump’s tariffs. Discover why before your portfolio feels the trade war pinch.

The recent 25-year mining permit is a defining moment for Santana Minerals, as it provides the legal foundation to progress from explorer to gold producer at its Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project. Before this announcement, the main risks were regulatory hurdles and timing of approvals, which limited near-term visibility even as drilling results pointed to strong resource potential. Now, with the core extraction rights secured, the short-term focus shifts to securing environmental and development consents, a process likely to be closely watched, given its influence on the potential start of construction and future cash flows. This milestone could also accelerate strategic decision-making and shape perceptions on project de-risking, altering both risk and catalyst profiles as the company transitions toward development and, potentially, first gold production. Recent share price moves do seem to reflect the increased optimism around this step.

Yet, despite the permit news, the pace and success of environmental approvals remains a critical piece investors should be aware of.

Santana Minerals’ shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued. Find out how large the opportunity might be.

ASX:SMI Community Fair Values as at Nov 2025

The Simply Wall St Community’s 7 fair value estimates for Santana Minerals range widely from A$0.20 to A$2.02 per share. While many anticipate upside, your view may hinge on how quickly construction and permitting risks resolve in light of the new mining approval. Use these diverse outlooks to see how different market participants weigh the project’s evolving risk and reward profile.

Explore 7 other fair value estimates on Santana Minerals – why the stock might be worth over 2x more than the current price!

Disagree with this assessment? Create your own narrative in under 3 minutes – extraordinary investment returns rarely come from following the herd.

Our daily scans reveal stocks with breakout potential. Don’t miss this chance:

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include SMI.AX.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com

Continue Reading