White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) Danvers breakthrough could redefine copper frontier

In the search for world-class copper assets, few results stand out as truly generational.

White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) latest drillhole from the Rae Copper Project in Canada—hole DAN25008—has not only delivered exceptional grades and thickness, but may well have vaulted the project into global prominence.

Managing Director Troy Whittaker recently sat down with MarketOpen to discuss the implications of the discovery, the broader opportunity at Rae, and what comes next, offering rare insight into why this find is being hailed as one of the most impressive copper intercepts in decades.

A Rare Global Contender

The standout result—175 metres at 2.5% copper starting just 7.6 metres below surface—is remarkable by any global benchmark.

It’s not just the grade or the length that’s turning heads, but the combination of both.

“DAN25008’s 175m @ 2.5% Cu from near surface represents one of the most impressive ‘grade-metre’ copper intercepts globally in the past half century,” said Whittaker. “This is particularly significant when considering the intersection began at 7.6m and ended in high-grade mineralisation—offering strong potential for both scale and depth extensions.”

When compared to historic copper discoveries worldwide, this result places White Cliff in elite company.

“When benchmarked against copper intercepts from globally recognised systems, this drillhole places White Cliff Minerals within the top echelon of high-grade explorers,” Whittaker added. “The combination of thickness, grade, and geological continuity is rare and directly supports the Company’s ambition to define a world-class copper resource.”

Implications for Scale and Economics

With this result as a foundation, the economic and logistical potential of the Rae Copper Project is now coming into sharper focus.

The continuity of mineralisation across such a long interval and so close to surface points directly to a potentially open-pittable deposit—an increasingly rare and sought-after asset in the copper sector.

“The results dramatically expand the scale potential of the Rae Copper Project,” said Whittaker. “The continuity of mineralisation from near surface and its consistent grade over 175m support the potential for a large, open-pittable deposit—something highly valuable in today’s market.”

Further boosting development prospects is Rae’s proximity to existing infrastructure.

“With the deposit located less than 80km from an open-water port and with surface mineralisation, development pathways could be expedited,” Whittaker continued. “The geology, scale and access align with criteria for large-scale copper operations.”

Pathway to a Resource

The focus now turns to converting this discovery into a JORC-compliant mineral resource, with work already underway to integrate the exceptional DAN25008 result into the broader geological model.

“The Company is integrating results from DAN25008 and previous drilling into a geological model to support a maiden JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate,” said Whittaker. “The exceptional results confirm continuity and will underpin early-stage resource planning.”

White Cliff isn’t stopping at this single hole.

Follow-up work is already in progress to understand the full extent of the system, both laterally and at depth.

“White Cliff is also advancing follow-up diamond drilling at Danvers to better understand the depth and lateral continuity,” he said. “This next round of drilling will inform resource estimation and potential development studies.”

Further Results on the Horizon

Importantly, the Danvers intercept may not be a one-off.

Several more assays from holes drilled along strike are still pending, with the potential to further validate or expand the scale of the discovery.

“Yes, five assays from holes drilled along strike of DAN25008 are due in the coming weeks,” Whittaker confirmed. “These results are highly anticipated and will help determine whether high-grade mineralisation continues laterally.”

White Cliff is also expanding its footprint within the broader Rae Project area, with drilling at regional targets designed to test whether the Danvers-style mineralisation can be replicated.

“In addition to the pending assays, drilling at other regional targets such as Hulk is planned, giving the Company multiple opportunities to replicate or extend the discovery made at Danvers,” he added.

A Globally Significant Result

So why is DAN25008 making waves well beyond the ASX?

According to Whittaker, the result ticks all the right boxes—grade, scale, and accessibility—and it arrives at a time when the world is facing a copper supply crunch.

“It combines scale, grade, and accessibility—175m of copper mineralisation at 2.5% Cu from near surface, ending in 4.46% Cu, is incredibly rare,” said Whittaker. “The hole alone puts Rae in contention as a tier-one copper discovery.”

Beyond the geological excitement, the discovery has broader commercial and strategic implications.

“The intercept surpasses traditional thresholds for standout results and comes at a time of growing copper scarcity,” Whittaker concluded. “Its potential implications on project development, valuation, and interest from strategic parties are substantial.”

Path Forward

With more assays due, drilling expanding to new targets, and modelling underway for a maiden resource, White Cliff appears to be just getting started at Rae.

For investors seeking exposure to a possible tier-one copper asset at a relatively early stage, the Danvers intercept may prove to be a defining moment.

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