White Cliff Minerals Starts Diamond Drilling to Expand Rae Copper Discovery

• Diamond drilling underway targeting 1.7km copper footprint
• 2026 program tests depth and strike extensions in Rae sediments
• High-grade intercepts include 3.5m at 7.2% Cu from 2025 drilling
• Historic Danvers prospect holds 4.16 million tons at 2.96% Cu (non-JORC)
• Geophysical data guides exploration of new sediment-hosted targets

Diamond Drilling Targets Extensions of High-Grade Copper

White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX:WCN) has commenced diamond drilling at its Rae Copper Project in Nunavut, Canada, focusing on expanding a sediment-hosted copper discovery first announced in 2025. The initial drilling campaign revealed a 1.7km strike length of copper mineralisation within the Rae Group sediments, highlighted by standout intercepts such as 3.5 metres at 7.2% copper. The 2026 program aims to test these mineralised zones at depth and along strike, leveraging detailed magnetic and helicopter-borne electromagnetic (HeliTEM) surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025.

Sediment-Hosted Copper System with District-Scale Potential

The Rae Copper Project hosts a sediment-hosted copper system developed along a redox boundary between reduced pyrite-bearing mudstones of the Rae Group and oxidised sandstones of the underlying Husky Creek Formation. This geological setting is analogous to world-class sediment-hosted copper provinces such as the Central African Copperbelt. Drillholes STK25001 and STK25003 confirmed copper mineralisation within this sedimentary horizon, with STK25003 intersecting 24.55 metres at 0.56% copper immediately below the redox boundary.

The project area covers over 70km of prospective strike, with the 2026 drilling focusing on untested extensions to the east and north of the known mineralisation. The first rig is operational targeting these eastern sedimentary structures, while a second rig is expected to arrive to test high-grade zones at the Danvers prospect, where historic drilling has revealed thick copper intervals including 175m at 2.5% copper and 90m at 4% copper.

Historic Danvers Resource and Metallurgical Advances

Danvers hosts a historic resource estimate of 4.16 million tons grading 2.96% copper, though this estimate predates JORC standards and requires validation through ongoing drilling. Recent metallurgical test work has demonstrated excellent copper and silver recoveries exceeding 95% and 93% respectively, producing high-grade concentrates with minimal deleterious elements. This metallurgical performance supports the economic potential of the Rae Copper Project’s mineralisation.

Exploration Techniques and Quality Assurance

White Cliff Minerals is employing industry-standard diamond and reverse circulation drilling methods, with comprehensive sampling and assay protocols to ensure data quality. Samples are prepared and analysed at ALS Laboratories in Yellowknife, with rigorous quality control including blanks, standards, and duplicates. Geophysical surveys, including airborne MobileMT and HeliTEM, have been instrumental in identifying priority targets within the Rae sedimentary basin.

Managing Director Troy Whittaker emphasised the strategic importance of the current drilling phase, noting the potential for significant extensions of copper mineralisation along key structural corridors. The program is designed to test geological models informed by magnetic and electromagnetic data, aiming to delineate the scale and continuity of this emerging sediment-hosted copper system.

Bottom Line?

The 2026 diamond drilling campaign at Rae is a critical test of the sediment-hosted copper system’s scale and grade continuity, with assay results poised to shape the project’s resource outlook.

Questions in the middle?

• Will the 2026 drilling confirm extensions of high-grade copper beyond the 1.7km footprint?
• How will the historic Danvers resource estimate translate under modern JORC standards?
• Can the geophysical targets east and north of current drilling reveal new sediment-hosted copper zones?