White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) reports Danvers copper assays and deeper sulphides
White Cliff Minerals has returned further copper and silver assays from infill drilling at Danvers 1 within its Rae Copper Project, while separate holes intersected visible copper sulphides beneath areas previously tested at shallow depth.
The company says the latest drilling reinforces continuity within the core and expands the interpreted mineralised envelope beyond the limits of historical drilling.
Highlights
DAN26047 returned 76.5m at 2.01% Cu and 5.72g/t Ag from 49.5m.
Included intervals returned 16m at 5.07% Cu and 15.1g/t Ag from 77m, containing 4m at 11.19% Cu and 35.3g/t Ag from 84m.
DAN26048, DAN26049 and DAN26050 intersected visible copper sulphides, with observations in DAN26050 extending to approximately 240m vertically below surface.
Assays for the deeper intersections are expected in 6 to 8 weeks, with drilling continuing northeast of Danvers 1 and at Danvers 2 and 3.
DAN26047 tested a gap between previously reported holes along the shallow southwest plunging trend within the broader northeast to southwest fault zone.
DAN25007, located 51m northeast, returned 105m at 2.25% Cu from 27.43m, including 35m at 3.93% Cu from 60.96m.
DAN25012, located 46m southwest, returned 86.87m at 2.37% Cu from 54.86m, including 22.86m at 5.2% Cu from 82.3m.
The company identifies the new result as a further targeting guide for higher grade zones along the Danvers 1 trend.
The reported interval remains open uphole, with the first sample returning 2.45% Cu and additional assays from the top of the hole pending.
All reported intercepts are downhole lengths, and true widths are not yet known.
Depth extension drilling addressed local narrowing in the initial mineralisation model, where historical drilling appeared to lack sampling or reported copper values.
These gaps warranted direct testing to determine whether they reflected geological limits or incomplete information, with DAN26048, DAN26049 and DAN26050 designed to investigate the apparent restrictions.
The release reports observed copper sulphide intervals totalling 63.21m in DAN26048, 27.05m in DAN26049 and 65.27m in DAN26050.
Mineralisation comprises chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite occurring as breccia cement, in veins and disseminated through the basalt sequence, based on visual observations rather than laboratory established copper grades.
White Cliff Managing director Troy Whittaker commented,
“These observations indicate that parts of Danvers 1 extend beyond the limits suggested by the historical drilling. Assays will establish the grades of these deeper intersections.”
Geological modelling is integrating the Danvers 1 core with strike extensions identified by 2026 drilling.
Along the northeastern trend, initial holes were sometimes more than 650m apart, and the current programme continues to prioritise this extension, with parallel structures also to be tested by diamond drilling, particularly northeast of Danvers 1.
Regional work includes a commissioned airborne magnetic, gravity and radiometric survey covering the contact between the Rae Group and Husky Creek Formation over 70km of strike.
Coverage extends to Thor and Rocket, where 2024 surface rock sampling identified vein and breccia systems, with the new dataset intended to refine targets and guide future drilling.
Till sampling is set to commence across Thor and Rocket to support regional exploration at Rae.
Within Danvers, the company expects infill and extension drilling to strengthen its geological model and support definition of an Exploration Target, progressing the project towards a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.