Solstice Minerals has reported exceptional wide and high-grade copper-gold intercepts from its first diamond drill tail at Nanadie, confirming mineralisation extends more than 300m below the current resource boundary and indicating strong potential for resource expansion.
- 629.1m combined intercept at 0.50% Cu, 0.17g/t Au from surface
- Multiple high-grade zones including 15m at 2.12% Cu, 0.47g/t Au
- Mineralisation extends 300m below current 40.4Mt MRE
- Phase 2 drilling ongoing with assays pending from 12 diamond tails
- Deposit open along strike and at depth with 100-200m width
Exceptional Depth Extension Confirmed at Nanadie
Solstice Minerals (ASX:SLS) has unveiled a landmark result from its Nanadie Copper-Gold Project in Western Australia, with its first diamond drill tail, NANRCD004, delivering a staggering 629.1 metres combined intercept averaging 0.50% copper and 0.17g/t gold from surface to end of hole. This intercept, which includes multiple wide, high-grade zones such as 15 metres at 2.12% copper and 0.47g/t gold, extends mineralisation more than 300 metres beneath the current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) boundary, underscoring the deposit’s substantial depth potential.
These results place Nanadie’s mineralised system in the league of globally significant copper deposits, with the combined reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling intercept comparable in length and grade to Andean copper-gold systems. The project benefits from a granted mining lease situated on flat terrain, a logistical advantage that could facilitate future development.
Validation of Geological Model and Mineralisation Continuity
The diamond tail extended the Phase 1 RC hole NANRC004, which previously intersected 62 metres at 1.55% copper and 0.66g/t gold to 317.5 metres, confirming continuity of mineralisation well below the existing resource limits. Assays closely match the zones of visible chalcopyrite mineralisation logged during drilling, providing strong confidence in the geological model and the quality of the remaining diamond tails currently being processed.
CEO Nick Castleden highlighted the significance of the results, noting the "strong validation of our geological model" and the "definitive evidence" of multiple high-grade zones extending to substantial depths. He emphasised the momentum to pursue these zones further, both below and potentially up-plunge into the current MRE area.
Ongoing Drilling Campaign Expands Deposit Footprint
Phase 2 drilling is progressing with an extended 13,000-metre RC program and 13 diamond tails completed, including the first assays from NANRCD004. Results from 12 additional diamond tails are pending, alongside ongoing RC drilling. Early indications suggest the deposit is evolving into a much larger system than previously recognised, currently spanning 100-200 metres in width and over 1.2 kilometres of strike, remaining open both along strike and at depth.
The recent RC drilling at the northern extent has confirmed significant copper intercepts correlating with induced polarisation (IP) chargeability anomalies, further supporting the potential for resource growth. The company plans targeted follow-up drilling to delineate high-grade zones and incorporate these into future resource updates.
Strategic Implications for Nanadie Resource Growth
Nanadie hosts an inferred MRE of 40.4 million tonnes at 0.4% copper and 0.1g/t gold, containing 162,000 tonnes of copper and 130,000 ounces of gold. The new diamond tail results demonstrate clear potential to materially expand this base, with mineralisation open in multiple directions and at depth.
The deposit’s geological setting within the Barrambie Igneous Complex features layered mafic intrusives hosting disseminated and vein-controlled chalcopyrite mineralisation. The mineralised zones exhibit strong copper-gold correlations without deleterious sulphides, which bodes well for metallurgical processing. Metallurgical test work is in advanced planning stages, leveraging core samples from the current drilling campaign.
With a strong cash position and an ongoing aggressive drilling program, Solstice is well positioned to unlock further value from Nanadie, a project showing the hallmarks of a significant new copper-gold system in Western Australia.
Bottom Line?
Solstice’s first diamond tail at Nanadie confirms extensive high-grade mineralisation at depth, setting the stage for a potential resource upgrade pending assays from 12 further diamond holes and ongoing RC drilling.
Questions in the middle?
- How will upcoming assay results from the remaining diamond tails influence the scale and grade of the Nanadie resource?
- What metallurgical characteristics will the core samples reveal, and how might they impact future processing strategies?
- To what extent can the high-grade zones be delineated and economically extracted in future mining studies?