White Cliff Minerals makes sediment-hosted copper discovery at Canadian project

• White Cliff finds sediment-hosted copper accompanied by semi-massive sulphide veining during maiden drilling at Rae
• The company has expanded its landholdings to the north to secure a newly identified intersection of the Herb Dixon Fault
• Follow-up drilling is underway at the Stark target area

Special Report: Maiden drilling at White Cliff Minerals’ Rae project in Nunavut, Canada has uncovered sediment-hosted copper, accompanied by semi-massive sulphide veining directly beneath the copper-bearing sediments.

The first confirmed occurrence of a sediment-hosted copper system at the project was identified through diamond drillhole STK25001, which intersected a broad zone of sulphide mineralisation in the lower Rae Group sediments.

So far, White Cliff Minerals (ASX:WCN) has identified 16m of chalcopyrite-bornite bearing sediments from 175m with further semi-massive chalcopyrite-bornite observed from 290m to 295m, suggesting strong potential for associated vein systems nearby.

The drillhole targeted sediments adjacent to the Herb Dixon Fault, a major structure which runs north-south through the company’s property.

These observations, alongside results from surface, confirm this fault as a major copper-fertile conduit capable of hosting large mineralising systems.

Land expansion to the north

Follow-up drilling is underway at the Stark target area, stepping out from the discovery drillhole to vector towards a possible bornite and/or chalcocite zone within these typically zoned copper systems.

The Stark target is a very large geophysical conductor yet to be tested by drilling with a strike length of >15km x 2km, which lies on the Herb Dixon fault.

Based on this understanding, White Cliff has expanded its landholdings to the north, with the addition of ~950km2 of mineral claims.

These licences secure a newly identified intersection of the Herb Dixon fault (the main copper conduit) to a previously untested and newly identified sedimentary package with known copper occurrences to the north.

The land grab reinforces White Cliff’s leading position in the Rae Basin and adds multiple high-priority targets to its exploration pipeline.

Watch: White Cliff more than doubles strike length at Danvers copper project

‘Fast emerging multi-faceted copper discovery’

WCN managing director Troy Whittaker said the company holds a dominant land package with over 72km of untested strike length at the lower Rae Group, now a proven host to sedimentary copper mineralisation.

“This drillhole is an important proof of concept, validating our thesis that the Rae Project hosts significant sediment-hosted copper mineralisation,” he said.

“To encounter strong sulphides in both the overlying sediments and in a vein system beneath them highlights the Herb Dixon Fault as a major fluid conduit – a critical control in these systems.

“Rae is fast emerging as a multi-faceted copper discovery, with world-class intercepts at Danvers now extending over 800 metres, a new zone of over 4 kilometres to the southwest, and fresh confirmation of sediment-hosted copper and semi-massive sulphides at Stark.”

This article was developed in collaboration with White Cliff Minerals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.