White Cliff Minerals Ltd
White Cliff Minerals Confirms Another Major Copper Discovery at Rae as System Extends Beyond 6 km
White Cliff Minerals Ltd (ASX: WCN; OTCQB: WCMLF) has reported another high-grade copper intercept at the Rae Copper Project in Nunavut, Canada, with assays from regional drilling at Danvers confirming a new mineralised zone adjacent to the Teshierpi Fault Zone. This White Cliff Minerals Rae Copper Project major copper discovery in Nunavut represents a significant milestone for the company's 2026 exploration campaign.
The latest results, released on 17 June 2026, highlight reverse circulation (RC) drillhole DAN26015, which returned 79.24 m at 1.59% Cu from 67.06 m, including 24.38 m at 3.05% Cu from 120.40 m. According to the announcement, this intercept confirms high-grade copper mineralisation on the southeastern contact of the fault, outside the main Teshierpi Fault Zone corridor that has previously hosted the bulk of drilling.
The 2026 drilling program at Rae has now:
- Confirmed a >3.1 km copper mineralised footprint by assay
- Identified visible copper sulphides over >6 km of strike along the Teshierpi Fault Zone
- Delivered multiple step-outs around the Danvers 1 deposit to the southwest, northeast and northwest
Troy Whittaker, Managing Director of White Cliff Minerals Ltd, commented: "DAN26015 is an important result for White Cliff, confirming another high-grade copper discovery outside the main Teshierpi Fault Zone and demonstrating that mineralisation is not confined to a single structure. We are now seeing copper zones expanding materially around Danvers 1, with new drilling extending the system 462 m to the southwest, 686 m to the northeast, and identifying a parallel mineralised zone 606 m to the north at DAN26022."
Furthermore, a second diamond drill rig is now on site at Danvers to follow up ultra-high-grade results from DAN26012 and to collect structural data that will guide the next phase of step-out and infill drilling.
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Headline Intercept: DAN26015 Confirms New Copper Zone Adjacent to Teshierpi Fault
In the latest Rae Copper Project update, White Cliff Minerals Ltd highlighted three new assay results from the 2026 RC program: DAN26013, DAN26014 and DAN26015.
Key intervals reported:
| Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Grade (Cu%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAN26015 | 67.06 | 146.30 | 79.24 | 1.59 |
| Including | 120.40 | 144.78 | 24.38 | 3.05 |
| DAN26014 | 233.17 | 249.94 | 16.77 | 0.87 |
| Including | 233.17 | 237.74 | 4.57 | 1.89 |
| DAN26014 | 109.73 | 128.02 | 18.29 | 0.15 |
| DAN26013 | 56.39 | 57.91 | 1.52 | 0.32 |
The company stated that all intervals represent downhole widths, with true thicknesses not yet known. Diamond drilling and scissor holes are planned to define the geometry of the mineralised zones.
In the announcement, results from DAN26015 are described as particularly important because:
- The hole intersected copper mineralisation on the southeastern contact of the Teshierpi Fault Zone
- Previous drilling had mainly targeted the northwestern contact, where Danvers 1 is located
- The new intercept confirms mineralisation is present on both fault contacts, supporting the concept of a broader mineralised corridor
The company also reported that the mineralised interval in DAN26015 is spatially related to a more resistive electromagnetic (EM) signal rather than the primary conductive anomalies that had guided earlier targeting. White Cliff Minerals Ltd considers this a material development for target generation, as it allows magnetic low and resistive zones to be considered prospective in addition to conductive EM features.
System Scale and Growth: Mineralisation Now Tracked Over 6 km
According to the 17 June 2026 announcement, regional RC drilling along the Teshierpi Fault Zone has now confirmed copper mineralisation by assay over >3.1 km of strike, whilst logging copper sulphides visually in holes between DAN26001 and DAN26024 over >6 km of strike. This 6 km corridor incorporates the Danvers 1 deposit and multiple new zones tested on wide spacing during 2026.
Key drilling observations reported:
- DAN26020 extended known mineralisation at Danvers 1 by 215 m to the southwest from 2025 hole DAN25015, with 30 m of combined copper sulphides logged in veins and blebs within amygdaloidal and massive basalts
- DAN26022 intersected a new copper sulphide zone with 47.55 m of combined sulphides, located 606 m northwest of DAN25001, including visual estimates of up to 5% bornite
- DAN26024, collared 686 m northeast of DAN26020, logged 67.05 m of combined copper sulphides, marking a substantial step-out along the interpreted host structure
The company emphasised that visual sulphide estimates are qualitative and not a substitute for laboratory analysis. Assays for holes DAN26019, DAN26020, DAN26022 and DAN26024 are pending and are expected within approximately four weeks of the announcement.
Spatial context around Danvers 1:
| Direction from Danvers 1 | Hole | Approx. offset | Reported observation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | DAN26020 | 215 m extension | 30 m combined copper sulphides |
| Southwest (collar) | DAN26019 & DAN26020 | >460 m from Danvers 1 collar | 30 m combined sulphides, potential system extension |
| Northwest | DAN26022 | 606 m NW of DAN25001 | 47.55 m sulphides, up to 5% bornite (visual) |
| Northeast | DAN26024 | 686 m NE of DAN26020 | 67.05 m combined copper sulphides |
| Parallel zone | DAN26015 | SE fault contact | 79.24 m at 1.59% Cu (assayed) |
The combined effect of these results is that the copper system around Danvers 1 is now interpreted to be expanding in several directions, whilst also exhibiting multiple mineralised structural contacts.
Educational Focus: Understanding Fault-Hosted Copper Systems at Rae
White Cliff Minerals Ltd is exploring what it describes as a fault and breccia hosted copper system within the Coppermine River Group basalts and associated structures. For investors without a technical geology background, several concepts in the Rae Copper Project update are worth defining.
What Is the Teshierpi Fault Zone?
The Teshierpi Fault Zone is a major geological structure that runs for over 10 km northeast-southwest across the Rae Copper Project area. A fault zone is a zone of fractures in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred. In many copper districts, such structures act as fluid pathways, allowing copper-bearing fluids to move and deposit sulphide minerals such as chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite.
At Danvers, copper mineralisation has been intersected in:
- Breccia zones, where rocks have been broken and cemented by copper sulphides
- Basalt flow tops, where vesicles and fractures can be filled or replaced by copper minerals
Historically, exploration and development focused on one main structural corridor aligned with the Teshierpi Fault Zone. However, the latest drilling suggests a more complex picture, with mineralisation now confirmed on both the northwestern contact of the fault (hosting Danvers 1) and the southeastern contact (intersected in DAN26015). This dual-contact mineralisation increases the potential width of the copper corridor and introduces the possibility of multiple parallel zones.
Why Does Strike Length Matter?
The term strike length refers to the horizontal distance over which mineralisation can be traced along the main direction of the structure. At Rae, assay-confirmed mineralisation now exceeds 3.1 km along strike, whilst visual copper sulphide observations from drilling extend this trend to >6 km between DAN26001 and DAN26024.
For investors, increasing strike length often indicates that the mineral system has the potential to host larger volumes of mineralised rock, subject to continuity, grade distribution, and future resource modelling.
Key Technical Terms Used in the Rae Announcement
- RC drilling (Reverse Circulation): A drilling method that returns rock chips to surface, used for relatively rapid and cost-effective first-pass testing
- Diamond drilling: A drilling technique that recovers intact cylindrical core, providing detailed structural, geological and geotechnical information
- Bornite: A copper-iron sulphide mineral, often associated with high copper grades; visual estimates of up to 5% bornite in DAN26022 are considered encouraging but require assay confirmation
- Chalcocite: A high-grade copper sulphide mineral that can contribute significantly to copper grades
- EM anomaly (Electromagnetic anomaly): A geophysical signal that can indicate conductive materials in the subsurface, such as sulphide minerals
- Downhole width vs true width: Downhole width is the length of an intercept measured along the drill hole; true width is the actual thickness of the mineralised body and is usually less than downhole width until geometry is fully understood
Diamond Drilling Program and Second Rig Mobilisation
The June 2026 announcement confirms that a second diamond drill rig is now on site at Danvers. According to White Cliff Minerals Ltd, the priority tasks for this expanded diamond program include follow-up on the ultra-high-grade DAN26012 intercept (previously reported as 19.81 m at 6.64% Cu), collection of oriented core to define structural controls on mineralisation, and drilling scissor holes across key RC intercepts to determine the orientation and true thickness of new zones.
Planned technical objectives of the diamond program:
-
Define geometry and true width — current RC intercepts, including DAN26015, DAN26008 and DAN26012, are reported as downhole lengths; diamond core will allow structural geologists to measure veins, breccias and bedding orientations to calculate true thicknesses
-
Improve structural model — oriented core, collected using tools such as the AXIS Champ Ori system, will provide accurate measurements of fracture and vein directions to feed into a structural interpretation of the Teshierpi Fault Zone
-
Support future step-out and infill drilling — understanding the dip and plunge of high-grade zones allows subsequent RC and diamond drilling to be planned more efficiently, a step typically necessary before defining formal Mineral Resource Estimates under the JORC Code
Upcoming Work Programme and News Flow
The June 2026 announcement outlines a series of near-term activities at the White Cliff Minerals Rae Copper Project major copper discovery in Nunavut that could be relevant for investors following the company's progress.
Planned and ongoing work:
- Assays pending for RC holes DAN26019, DAN26020, DAN26022 and DAN26024, with laboratory results expected within approximately four weeks of the 17 June release
- Diamond drilling underway to step out from DAN26012, test newly defined mineralised contacts including the DAN26015 zone, and collect oriented core for structural analysis
- Scissor drilling planned across key 2026 RC holes to constrain dip and orientation of mineralised bodies
- Further regional RC drilling on wide spacing of 300–400 m between holes to continue testing the >10 km structure
Summary of near-term catalysts:
| Catalyst | Expected timing | Reported importance |
|---|---|---|
| Assays: DAN26019, 26020, 26022, 26024 | ~4 weeks from 17 June 2026 | Grade confirmation for multiple sulphide-bearing step-outs |
| Diamond drilling results around DAN26012 | To be reported as available | Definition of ultra-high-grade zone continuity and geometry |
| Structural interpretation from oriented core | Ongoing | Guides drilling orientation, resource modelling and corridor width |
| Additional RC drilling along Teshierpi Fault Zone | Throughout 2026 | Tests the remaining strike of the >10 km structural corridor |
Rae Copper Project and Investment Context
The Rae Copper Project covers 1,228 km² in Nunavut across 93 mineral claims and one mineral lease. According to White Cliff Minerals Ltd, the project area contains numerous high-grade copper occurrences and multiple mineralisation styles, including fault and breccia hosted copper within basalts, flow-top replacement mineralisation within volcanic units, and sediment-hosted copper in the Rae Group.
The company also refers to a historic (non-JORC-compliant) resource estimate at the Danvers Prospect of 4.16 million tonnes at 2.96% Cu, dating from the 1960s. White Cliff Minerals Ltd explicitly notes that this figure is not reported in accordance with the JORC Code 2012 or NI 43-101, and consequently cannot be relied upon as a current resource.
Metallurgical testwork reported in April 2026, using material from RC hole DAN25008, indicated up to 95.4% Cu recovery, up to 93.3% Ag recovery, and concentrate grades of approximately 40% Cu and 150 g/t Ag using conventional flotation. No deleterious elements were identified in those tests, suggesting that, if sufficient resources are ultimately defined, the mineralisation could be amenable to standard processing routes used in many copper operations.
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Why the June 2026 Rae Update Matters for Investors
For investors tracking copper exploration on the ASX, the June 2026 update representing the White Cliff Minerals Rae Copper Project major copper discovery in Nunavut presents several points of interest:
- System size and continuity — visual copper sulphides now extend over >6 km of strike, with assays confirming mineralisation over >3.1 km with both broad and high-grade intervals remaining open along strike
- Multiple growth vectors — step-outs to the southwest, northeast and northwest of Danvers 1, plus confirmation of a new mineralised zone on the southeastern fault contact in DAN26015
- Technical progression — transition from wide-spaced RC reconnaissance to oriented diamond drilling and scissor holes, a typical precursor to formal resource estimation
- Processing testwork and historic context — positive metallurgical testwork using conventional flotation, alongside a historic high-grade estimate at Danvers requiring verification
In combination, these factors indicate that White Cliff Minerals Ltd is reporting an expanding copper system at Rae with multiple untested targets remaining along a >10 km fault corridor. The balance of future assay results, structural understanding from diamond drilling, and potential resource definition work will consequently be key markers for how the Rae Copper Project progresses from an exploration perspective.
Want to Learn More About White Cliff Minerals' Expanding Copper Discovery at Rae?
With high-grade assays confirming mineralisation across both fault contacts, visible copper sulphides tracked over more than 6 km of strike, and a second diamond drill rig now on site, White Cliff Minerals (ASX: WCN) is advancing one of the most active copper exploration programs on the ASX. To learn more about the Rae Copper Project and what this rapidly expanding system could mean for investors, visit the official White Cliff Minerals website at wcminerals.com.au.