White Cliff Minerals Delivers World-Class High-Grade Copper at Danvers

One in Five Atoms of Copper: White Cliff Minerals Delivers a World-Class High-Grade Discovery at Danvers

White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX: WCN; OTCQB: WCMLF) has released drilling assay results that belong in the conversation of the most significant shallow copper discoveries made globally in the past decade. The White Cliff Minerals Danvers high-grade copper discovery in Nunavut Canada has returned 19.81 metres at 6.64% copper from 152.4 metres depth — including a jaw-dropping sub-interval of 1.52 metres at 21.1% copper, meaning roughly one in every five atoms of rock recovered from that interval was pure copper. That is the highest-grade copper interval ever returned from the Danvers project.

These results are not an isolated spike. The 2026 drilling campaign has now confirmed copper mineralisation over 2.6 kilometres of strike, with visual observations of copper sulphides extending beyond 4.1 kilometres, and the broader system remains completely open in all directions — along strike, at depth, and towards surface.

The Star of the Show: DAN26012 Decoded

Drillhole DAN26012 was drilled into a major electromagnetic anomaly along the Teshierpi Fault Zone, approximately 2.7 kilometres from the initial Danvers 1 zone. The fact that grades of this quality appear this far from the original discovery point speaks directly to the scale of what is developing here.

The headline intercept and its nested high-grade zones are summarised below:

The grades escalate sharply as drilling moves northeast into the core of the electromagnetic anomaly. This is precisely the kind of grade-vectoring behaviour that exploration geologists hope to find — a signal that the best mineralisation has not yet been fully penetrated.

Crucially, the mineralisation in DAN26012 remains open in both directions along strike and is untested towards surface and at depth.

Context From the Broader 2026 Campaign

DAN26012 does not stand alone. Four drillholes with assay results released in this announcement collectively paint a picture of a coherent, mineralised fault system building in both scale and grade intensity as drilling moves toward the heart of the geophysical anomaly.

A clear pattern emerges: as the drilling programme has progressed northeast along the fault zone — moving from DAN26009 through to DAN26012 — both grades and widths have increased materially. The approximately 807 metres of mineralised strike now confirmed between DAN26008 and DAN26012 adds to what is rapidly becoming a district-scale footprint.

Visual copper sulphide observations from drillholes further along strike (DAN26015 through DAN26018) suggest the mineralised system continues for more than 4.1 kilometres, with DAN26017 intersecting 19 metres of trace chalcocite in massive basalts and DAN26018 returning a 4.5-metre interval of trace chalcocite. These visual observations are not assay-confirmed but indicate where the next discovery could emerge.

"The exceptional results from DAN26012 validate Danvers' emergence as a major high-grade copper discovery. These results rank among the highest-grade intercepts returned from Danvers and highlight the extraordinary potential of this rapidly growing mineralised system. The combination of exceptional grades, growing strike extent and open-ended mineralisation strongly supports our thesis that the Teshierpi Fault Zone has the potential to host a significant, high-grade copper system." — Managing Director Troy Whittaker

Understanding the Numbers: What Makes a Grade "World-Class"?

How Do Copper Grades Compare Globally?

Copper grades in exploration are expressed as a percentage of copper metal within a given weight of rock. For context, a large-scale copper mine operating on bulk porphyry mineralisation — the most common type globally — might mine rock averaging 0.3% to 0.6% copper. High-grade underground copper mines typically operate above 1.5% to 2%.

An intercept of 6.64% copper over nearly 20 metres is therefore exceptional by any measure. The sub-interval of 21.1% copper over 1.52 metres means the rock recovered from that specific sample was approximately one-fifth pure copper metal by mass. That is not a rounding error — raw assay data from the announcement confirms individual 1.52-metre sample intervals containing copper at concentrations of 89,000 ppm, 98,600 ppm, 211,000 ppm, and 142,500 ppm within DAN26012.

Why Does This Matter for Investors?

High grades translate directly into economics. Higher-grade mineralisation means more metal extracted per tonne of rock processed, lower operating costs per unit of copper produced, and stronger project economics at any given copper price. Furthermore, the combination of high grade and the shallow depth of this intercept (starting at only 152.4 metres below surface) means the mineralisation is potentially accessible via lower-cost mining methods.

Key Terms Explained

• RC drilling (Reverse Circulation): A drilling technique where rock chips are blown back up through the inside of the drill rods using compressed air. It is faster and more cost-effective than diamond drilling and is used for initial exploration.
• Diamond drilling: A technique using a rotating drill bit embedded with industrial diamonds to extract a continuous cylinder of intact rock (core). Planned to begin imminently at Danvers, this method provides richer geological data.
• Strike length: The horizontal distance along which a mineralised zone can be traced. Greater strike length generally means greater potential resource size.
• Open at depth / along strike: The mineralised zone has not been closed off by drilling — it continues beyond the current drill holes, representing untested upside.
• EM anomaly (Electromagnetic anomaly): A geophysical signature that can indicate the presence of electrically conductive material underground, such as copper sulphide minerals. DAN26012 was specifically targeted within a major EM anomaly.
• Teshierpi Fault Zone: The major structural feature running over 10 kilometres through the Rae Copper Project, acting as a conduit for copper-rich fluids that deposited the mineralisation.
• Chalcocite / Bornite / Chalcopyrite: Different copper sulphide minerals. Chalcocite and bornite are typically higher-grade copper minerals, with chalcocite containing approximately 80% copper by weight.

What Comes Next: The Drilling Calendar Is Packed

The company has outlined a clear and imminent set of upcoming activities, with catalysts expected in quick succession.

Immediate near-term:

1. A second diamond drill rig is scheduled to arrive at site by the end of the week of the announcement, with visual observations from early drilling anticipated before month-end.
2. Diamond drilling will focus on three key objectives:
   • Step-out and strike testing northeast of Danvers 1, following the EM anomaly trend
   • Scissor drilling of key RC intercepts including DAN26012 — drilling at an angle to the original holes to better define true widths, geometry, and grade continuity
   • Infill drilling along strike to begin building towards a resource-level understanding of the system

3. Additional RC samples are being dispatched to ALS Laboratories with assays expected within approximately four weeks, meaning further results are imminent.

Medium-term programme:

• RC step-out drilling continues targeting the full 12,000-metre prospective strike length of the Teshierpi Fault Zone
• The remaining approximately 8 kilometres of target along strike is expected to be drilled before the end of July 2026
• Diamond drilling will provide continuous core recovery, enabling significantly improved understanding of lithology, alteration patterns, mineralisation controls, and structural geology — data critical for future resource estimation

The introduction of diamond drilling alongside ongoing RC drilling represents a material programme upgrade. Consequently, it signals the company is moving from pure discovery-mode into a phase of systematic definition of high-grade zones.

The Investment Case: Why This Discovery Stands Apart

Several characteristics of the Danvers system collectively elevate this from a promising exploration result to a genuinely significant discovery.

1. Grade in Global Context

The company has stated these results rank among the strongest shallow high-grade copper intersection results worldwide in the past decade. The combination of a ~20-metre true-thickness-candidate intercept at over 6.6% copper from 152 metres depth is rare. The ultra-high-grade core at 21.1% copper represents the project's highest recorded interval to date.

2. Scale Is Building Rapidly

The 2026 programme has confirmed mineralisation over 2.6 kilometres of assay-confirmed strike, with visual sulphide observations over 4.1 kilometres. Drilling continues with wide spacings of 300–400 metres between holes, meaning the true mineralised footprint is likely substantially larger than what has been confirmed by laboratory assays to date.

3. The System Is Open Everywhere

Mineralisation in all 2026 drillholes remains open along strike in both directions and is entirely untested towards surface and at depth. This is an early-stage discovery with a very large amount of ground yet to test.

4. Historical Context Adds Credibility

The project hosts a historic (non-JORC) resource estimate at Danvers of 4.16 million tonnes at 2.96% copper from 1967/1968 drilling — a reference point that demonstrates the long-recognised geological significance of this area. White Cliff's modern drilling is now dramatically expanding the known mineralised envelope beyond that historic footprint.

5. Metallurgy Already De-Risked

Separately announced metallurgical test work completed by Sepro Laboratories on Danvers material demonstrated up to 95.4% copper recovery and 93.3% silver recovery via conventional flotation, producing concentrates of approximately 40% copper. This early-stage confirmation that the mineralisation processes well via standard methods significantly reduces a key technical risk.

6. Jurisdiction Quality

The White Cliff Minerals Danvers high-grade copper discovery in Nunavut Canada is situated within a jurisdiction that consistently ranks among the most mining-friendly globally. The company operates under a Type B water licence and a Class A Land Use Permit, and additionally holds permission from the Kitikmeot Inuit Association to conduct exploration on the property.

7. The Discovery Is Still Accelerating

The grade trend from DAN26009 through DAN26012 is unmistakably improving as drilling moves northeast toward the core of the geophysical anomaly. The best result — by a significant margin — is the most recently reported one. With a second diamond drill rig arriving imminently and the programme accelerating, the news flow in coming weeks and months is likely to be intense.

Why Investors Should Keep Watching White Cliff Minerals

White Cliff Minerals has delivered a result that most junior copper explorers spend years hoping for. The convergence of exceptional grade, meaningful width, shallow depth, open-ended geometry, district-scale strike potential, strong metallurgy, and a tier-one jurisdiction creates an investment profile that is difficult to replicate.

The drilling programme is far from complete. With 8 kilometres of untested strike remaining and a second diamond rig about to mobilise, the current 2.6-kilometre confirmed mineralised corridor could grow substantially before the end of July. Furthermore, every round of assays from here carries material discovery potential.

White Cliff Minerals has positioned itself at the centre of one of the most compelling high-grade copper discoveries in the current global exploration cycle. With DAN26012 delivering a world-class intercept, 8 kilometres of untested prospective strike ahead of the drill bit, a second rig arriving imminently, and assay results expected within weeks, investors tracking the copper discovery space have strong reason to follow WCN closely through mid-2026 and beyond.

Want to Learn More About White Cliff Minerals' World-Class Copper Discovery?

With 8 kilometres of untested prospective strike ahead of the drill bit, a second diamond rig arriving imminently, and further assay results expected within weeks, the Danvers discovery is at a critical and rapidly evolving stage. Investors seeking to understand the full scale of what White Cliff Minerals is building at the Rae Copper Project — including project details, upcoming catalysts, and the latest announcements — can find everything they need at wcminerals.com.au.