en.Wedoany.com Reported - Jaguar Mining (TSX:JAG) has initiated a 5,000-meter directional drilling program at the Pilar Gold Mine in Brazil, targeting the BA, LPA, and BF mineralized zones at a depth of 1,100 meters below the current working area.

This three-phase drilling program is expected to take 10 to 12 months. The company has commissioned Geosol and Major Drilling Group International (TSX:MDI) to execute the program as part of the 227,200-meter five-year exploration drilling plan announced in June 2026.

Jaguar Mining CEO Luis Tondo stated that the goal of the Pilar directional drilling program is to significantly extend the deep mineral resource potential, thereby extending the mine life beyond the current eight years.

According to the company's disclosure, the Pilar mine produced over 40,000 ounces of gold in 2025, with expected similar production in 2026.

Jaguar Mining noted that mining and conventional drilling at Pilar show that grade and mineralization width increase with depth. Recent drilling targeting the downward extension of the BA zone has revealed high-grade mineralization at depth, the company reported.

Exploration General Manager Armando Massucatto stated that the BA, LPA, and BF ore bodies exhibit an east-west trending extension, with tight folds in the upper section transitioning into wider fold geometries at depth, increasing the mineralized area.

Massucatto said that in terms of grade distribution, both mining exposures and drilling data indicate an overall increase in grade at depth compared to the upper part of the deposit.

The company stated that ounces per vertical meter also increase with depth, indicating improvements in both mineralization quality and grade.

Directional drilling allows multiple boreholes to be completed from a single surface location, reducing the need for additional drill sites while improving targeting accuracy at depth.

Jaguar operates three gold mine complexes in Brazil's Iron Quadrangle, including the MTL Complex (comprising the Turmalina mine and processing plant), the Caeté Complex (comprising the Pilar and Roca Grande mines and the Caeté processing plant), and the Paciência Complex under development, which plans to restart the Santa Isabel mine in 2026.