Catalina Resources (ASX:CTN) advances Breakaway Dam with multi-plate conductor test

Catalina Resources has moved to the next phase of drilling at its Breakaway Dam Copper Project, refining targets within what the company interprets to be a copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide system.

A 12-hole reverse circulation program totalling ~3,160m is set to commence following site preparation works scheduled from 21 February 2026, marking a technically focused step in the evaluation of a conductive corridor that management believes holds system-scale potential.

Highlights

• 12-hole, ~3,160m RC drill program targeting a copper-rich VMS system.

• Planned BDCRC26016 drillhole configured as a multi-plate test of high-priority DHEM conductors.

• Drilling designed to test a ~700m mineralised corridor within a broader conductive trend interpreted to extend for at least ~16km.

• High-priority conductors identified, with prior drilling interpreted to have intersected marginal portions of modelled plates.

• DHEM surveys integrated to refine modelling, assess off-hole responses and optimise follow-up targeting.

• JB Contracting to commence site preparation on 21 February 2026, with mobilisation of Core Drilling Pty Ltd scheduled for the week commencing 23 February 2026.

Breakaway Dam is interpreted to host copper-rich VMS mineralisation, supported by historical exploration, recent diamond drilling and downhole electromagnetic surveys.

Previous drilling programs confirmed sulphide-bearing horizons and conductive responses consistent with a VMS geological environment, providing the foundation for the current round of systematic follow-up.

Ongoing integration of geological observations with geophysical datasets has progressively refined Catalina’s understanding of the mineralised system.

Interpretation of responses associated with the BDCDD2503 section indicates that earlier drillholes likely intersected the margins of modelled conductor plates rather than their central portions, prompting a revised targeting approach focused on the core of the conductive system.

Recent drilling has established Cu-VMS-style sulphide mineralisation over approximately 700m of strike, while geological and geophysical interpretation suggests the broader conductive and prospective stratigraphic position extends beyond this area.

At a project scale, the prospective horizon is interpreted to extend for at least ~16km within Catalina’s tenure, with large portions of this trend subject to limited or no effective drill testing.

The centrepiece of the current program is drillhole BDCRC26016, which has been specifically designed to intersect three independently modelled conductor plates.

The hole is intended as a direct test of the interpreted core of the conductive system and is expected to provide constraints on conductor geometry, sulphide distribution and potential thickness variations within the central portions of the system.

Executive Director Ross Cotton said

“The upcoming program represents a disciplined step forward in Catalina’s evaluation of the Breakaway Dam Cu-VMS system. Our targeting strategy is grounded in the integration of geological observations and DHEM data, which increasingly indicate that previous drilling intersected the margins of the conductive system rather than its core.”

The remaining holes serve complementary objectives, including testing along-strike continuity, evaluating variations in conductor strength and geometry, assessing potential structural controls on sulphide accumulation, and constraining the lateral and vertical extent of the interpreted VMS system.

Together, this broader drill pattern is designed to move beyond isolated conductor tests toward a more integrated assessment of system scale and continuity.

DHEM surveys will be embedded throughout the program to refine conductor plate modelling, assess off-hole conductive responses and optimise follow-up targeting as drilling progresses.

The company expects this approach to improve resolution of the conductive architecture and provide critical vectoring information, particularly in areas where sulphide bodies may not be directly intersected by drilling.

With site preparation imminent and drilling mobilisation scheduled, Catalina is advancing a technically driven program aimed at evaluating both grade potential and the size and architectural framework of the Breakaway Dam Cu-VMS system.

In a geological setting where conductor geometry and continuity are central to discovery, the upcoming results will help define the next phase of exploration across a corridor interpreted to extend well beyond the currently tested strike.

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