- 01Maiden drilling hits 15m at 1.62% Cu, including 3.5m at 4.14%.
- 02High-grade Cu extends >60m; 1.3km system remains open.
- 03Geophysics to guide follow-up drilling.
Initial assays from White Cliff Minerals’ (ASX: WCN) maiden drilling at the Bornite Hills discovery within its Rae copper project in Canada have confirmed a high-grade system open for testing and underpinned by bonanza grades in surface trenches.
The first holes returned high-grade intersections of 15 metres at 1.62% copper from 57m including 3.5m at 4.14% from 64m, as well as 11.5m at 2% copper from 75.5m including 1m at 10.16% from 82.5m.
The results show that the mineralisation extends more than 60m below a historical surface trench result of 3.66m at 46.99% copper, while also confirming that massive bornite at surface continues at depth.
The copper system is believed to remain open along a 1.3 kilometre host structure adjacent to the major north-south trending Herb Dixon Fault, where White Cliffs’ drilling in 2025 returned 3.5m at 7.2% copper within 12m at 2.45%.
Hi-Res Geophysical Survey
Data from a high-resolution magnetic-radiometric-gravity survey commissioned to cover the Rae Group-Husky Creek Formation contact over a 70km strike length will be integrated into future target generation along several parallel structures at Bornite Hills.
The survey coverage will extend to the Thor and Rocket targets, where surface rock sampling in 2024 identified high-grade vein and breccia systems.
The combined geophysical dataset will provide a critical additional layer for refining targets and guiding follow-up drilling in the new year.
Meanwhile, White Cliff is continuing exploration across the Danvers 1 northeast trend and Danvers 2/3 discovery areas to provide a foundation for geological modelling, support the definition of an exploration target, and progress the Rae project towards a maiden mineral resource estimate.
Key Exploration Area
Managing director Troy Whittaker said the discovery at Bornite Hills was testament to the exploration strategy and prospectivity of the wider Rae project, which hosts multiple undrilled targets.
“These first drill results establish Bornite Hills as a key exploration area at Rae—we have intersected high-grade copper beneath the historical surface showing within a system that indicates the movement of copper-bearing fluids,” he said.
“The combination of mineralised breccias, veining, and silicification, together with an interpreted connection to the Herb Dixon zone, points to favourable geological plumbing for copper mineralisation.”
“With a target structure traceable for more than 1.3km, we believe there is a clear case to test its extensions and the positions where copper may become more concentrated,” he added.
“The next phase of our targeting will focus on the geometry of the system, its highest-grade zones, and the surrounding parallel structures.”
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