Solstice Minerals has pushed the boundaries of its Nanadie Copper-Gold Project in WA, completing the deepest drillhole to date and logging visible copper sulphides well below previous resource levels. Assay results are pending, but early signs point to meaningful extensions of the mineralised system.
- Diamond drillhole NANRCD004 reaches 629.1m, extending mineralisation depth by 300m
- Visible chalcopyrite observed consistent with earlier RC drilling
- Phase 2 drilling includes 2,000m diamond tails and 10,000m RC program
- Nanadie hosts 40.4Mt inferred resource at 0.4% Cu and 0.1g/t Au
- Assay results expected in 5-6 weeks to confirm geological observations
Deepest Drillhole Pushes Nanadie Mineralisation Further Down
Solstice Minerals (ASX:SLS) has completed its first diamond drill tail at the Nanadie Copper-Gold Project, with hole NANRCD004 reaching a record depth of 629.1 metres. This extends the previous Reverse Circulation (RC) hole NANRC004, which ended at 317.5 metres, by over 300 metres, marking a significant vertical expansion of the known mineralised system.
Visible Copper Sulphides Support Continuity of Copper-Gold System
Geological logging from the diamond core has revealed multiple zones of visible chalcopyrite (copper sulphide), predominantly as disseminations and veinlets, consistent with mineralisation styles observed in earlier RC drilling. While these visual estimates are preliminary and not a substitute for laboratory assays, they provide encouraging geological context ahead of assay results expected in 5-6 weeks.
Chief Executive Officer Nick Castleden highlighted the promising start, noting that the diamond rig's flexibility allows follow-up on high-grade intercepts near previous end-of-hole positions. The Phase 1 RC drilling had already identified several compelling targets for resource growth, and the diamond tails aim to better define these, particularly down-dip and along strike.
Ambitious Phase 2 Drilling Program Underway
The diamond drilling campaign is planned to include approximately 10 tails totaling around 2,000 metres of core. Concurrently, a 10,000-metre Phase 2 RC drilling program is progressing, targeting step-out exploration, Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) delineation, and pre-collar holes for diamond tails. As of the announcement, five Phase 2 RC holes have been completed.
This drilling momentum follows the company’s recent successful capital raise, which fortified its cash position to $48.4 million, enabling an aggressive exploration push at Nanadie and other projects. The current inferred resource at Nanadie stands at 40.4 million tonnes grading 0.4% copper and 0.1 grams per tonne gold, containing 162,000 tonnes of copper and 130,000 ounces of gold.
These developments build on the earlier breakthrough Nanadie drilling results that showcased wide, high-grade copper-gold intercepts surpassing existing resource grades, underscoring the project’s potential for substantial growth.
Geological Setting and Historical Context Reinforce Opportunity
Nanadie is situated within the Barrambie Igneous Complex, a layered mafic intrusive system known for hosting copper-gold mineralisation. The deposit’s mineralisation is associated with chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite, with sulphides remobilised into regional shear zones, creating complex but potentially high-grade zones.
The project area has a rich exploration history, with multiple companies including Newcrest, Dominion, Intermin, Mithril, and Horizon Minerals conducting extensive drilling and geophysical surveys. Solstice’s current drilling programs build on this legacy, aiming to upgrade and expand the resource base with modern techniques and a focused strategy.
Next Steps and Anticipated Catalysts
Laboratory assays from the diamond core and Phase 2 RC drilling are expected within the next 5-6 weeks and 3-4 weeks respectively. These results will be critical to quantify the visual sulphide observations and determine the economic potential of the newly drilled zones. Subsequent resource model updates and metallurgical testing are planned to refine the project’s development pathway.
Bottom Line?
As Solstice’s diamond drilling pushes the Nanadie system deeper, assay results will be the key to confirming whether these geological extensions translate into meaningful resource growth.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming assay results confirm the visual sulphide indications and support resource upgrades?
- How might metallurgical characteristics of the deeper mineralisation impact project economics?
- What are the implications of the ongoing Phase 2 drilling for the timing and scale of resource delineation?