Diablo Resources (ASX:DBO) gains drilling approval at Phoenix Copper Project in Utah

Diablo Resources (ASX:DBO) has stepped up its United States critical minerals strategy with federal approval to commence drilling at its Stateline Claim Block in Utah, part of the company’s Phoenix Copper Project.

The permit provides the company with its first opportunity to test copper mineralisation in ground considered highly prospective, with proximity to established deposits underscoring the project’s potential.

Highlights

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approval received for maiden drilling at the Stateline Claim Block, including the Fair Dinkum Prospect.

• The Stateline block is considered the company’s most prospective ground for copper discovery within its US portfolio.

• Fair Dinkum lies just 5km along strike from the 60Mt Lone Wolf Deposit and 2km from the Flying Diamond Deposit, adjacent to the producing Lisbon Valley Copper Mine.

• Surface sampling at Fair Dinkum returned results up to 2.76% Cu and 92 g/t Ag, with seven of 13 samples exceeding 1% Cu.

• First batch of samples from the ongoing CC Claim Block drilling is in the lab, with results due within three weeks

The Stateline approval allows Diablo to drill up to 36 holes from 12 pads, reducing disturbance while maximising target coverage.

The work will focus initially on Fair Dinkum, where reconnaissance has mapped copper mineralisation across a 100m strike.

The setting mirrors structural and geological conditions at nearby deposits in the Lisbon Valley copper district, long recognised as Utah’s key copper-producing region.

For Diablo Resources, Stateline represents a logical extension of its exploration push at Phoenix.

Located 70km southwest of Moab, the broader project covers two claim blocks, Stateline to the southeast and CC to the northwest totalling more than 6,000 acres of prospective ground along strike from Lisbon Valley Copper Mine.

Chief executive Lyle Thorne said:

“Obtaining approval for proposed drilling in our Stateline Claim Block is another positive step forward for our ongoing exploration efforts at Phoenix. At Fair Dinkum, we have defined a compelling shallow drill target; surface copper mineralisation within Dakota and Burro Canyon conglomerates and sandstones, known hosts to copper mineralisation in the Lisbon Valley. The United States Government has made it clear that securing domestic supplies of critical minerals, including copper, is a national priority”.

Attention now turns to two fronts: ongoing assays from drilling at the CC Claim Block and preparations for Stateline drilling slated for Q4 2025.

With copper increasingly designated as a critical mineral under US policy, Diablo’s timing is aligned with government objectives to expand domestic supply chains.

The company is positioning itself within a proven mining district, and the results from Fair Dinkum will be keenly anticipated by those tracking the evolution of North America’s next generation copper plays.

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