Canterbury Restarts Drilling at John Hill After 13-Year Pause Targeting 254Mt Copper
Key Takeaways
- Canterbury Resources has commenced a +2,000m diamond core drilling program at John Hill — the first exploration at the deposit since 2013 — targeting lateral and depth extensions of a 254Mt Inferred Mineral Resource at 0.21% Cu, 100ppm Mo, and 1.1g/t Ag.
- Only ~60% of the known 1km x 1km near-surface footprint has been drilled, and historic holes were mostly limited to 200-300m depth despite one hole being terminated in mineralisation at 555.1m — leaving significant untested ground.
- The first hole, PDH01, is a 100m step-out north along strike from historic intercepts including 464.1m at 0.20% Cu and 171m at 0.31% Cu, targeting the 'NE drill target' zone.
- John Hill already carries a larger tonnage resource than the Briggs Indicated category (254Mt vs 137Mt), and Canterbury is explicitly applying its Briggs development knowledge to advance John Hill as a potential second large-scale asset.
- Canterbury's catalyst pipeline runs through to 2027: progressive assay results in 2026, an interim Mineral Resource Estimate in early 2027, and continued expansion drilling throughout 2027.
Canterbury restarts drilling at John Hill copper-molybdenum deposit after 13-year hiatus
Canterbury Resources is commencing a +2,000m diamond core drilling program at the John Hill copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit near Monto in central Queensland. This is the first exploration undertaken on the project since 2013, targeting expansion of a deposit already carrying a 254Mt Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate at 0.21% Cu, 100ppm Mo, and 1.1g/t Ag. The drilling contractor is setting up on the first pad, with results progressively reported over coming months.
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What the drilling program will test
The known near-surface footprint at John Hill spans approximately 1km x 1km, but only ~60% of this area has been tested by drilling, generally to relatively shallow depths. The deposit remains open laterally and at depth — historic drill holes were mostly limited to 200-300m, though rarer deeper holes demonstrated mineralisation persistence (12KC055 was terminated in mineralisation at 555.1m).
Canterbury has designed eight drill holes to date, with access tracks and pads already in place. The program will be modified and expanded based on progressive results. The first hole, PDH01, is a 100m step-out north along strike from strong primary copper-molybdenum mineralisation, with initial focus on the ‘NE drill target’.
That target is underpinned by broad intervals of strong copper and molybdenum mineralisation in nearby historic holes:
- 12KC055 — 464.1m at 0.20% Cu, 170ppm Mo, 1.1g/t Ag from 91m
- 12KC058 — 171m at 0.31% Cu, 115ppm Mo, 1.5g/t Ag from 85m
- 13KC063 — 160m at 0.25% Cu, 204ppm Mo, 1.2g/t Ag from 84m
- 13KC064 — 244m at 0.22% Cu, 169ppm Mo, 1.2g/t Ag from 84m
These are historic results from previous drilling campaigns, serving as the geological rationale for the current program’s design.
The Briggs parallel — why John Hill matters
John Hill sits 80km south of the Briggs Project, a joint venture between Canterbury and Alma Metals where a Preliminary Feasibility Study is evaluating a large-scale, long-life open-cut mining operation. The proposed development would utilise conventional flotation processing to produce copper concentrate for sale to smelters. Canterbury aims to define a similar opportunity at John Hill, applying knowledge gained from Briggs, which shares comparable grade, scale, and mineralisation style.
The near-surface footprint at John Hill is already similar in scale to Central Briggs. The comparison table below shows Mineral Resource Estimates at a 0.15% Cu cut-off grade:
| Deposit | Category | Mt | Cu (%) | Mo (ppm) | Ag (g/t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Hill | Inferred | 254 | 0.21 | 100 | 1.1 |
| Briggs | Indicated | 137 | 0.25 | 39 | 0.7 |
| Briggs | Inferred | 793 | 0.20 | 35 | 0.5 |
Briggs provides a proven development template. A successful expansion at John Hill could deliver a second large-scale asset within Canterbury’s central Queensland portfolio.
Managing Director Grant Craighead
“This is a very exciting time for Canterbury shareholders. The John Hill deposit was an excellent discovery, but exploration efforts were prematurely terminated in early 2013, and the project has been dormant and unloved since then. Our knowledge and understanding of large-scale, low-grade copper-molybdenum systems in central Queensland will enable us to rapidly advance the project up the value curve. We look forward to reporting a steady flow of results over coming months.”
Understanding porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits
Porphyry copper-molybdenum systems are large-tonnage, lower-grade deposits typically mined at scale via open-cut methods and processed using flotation technology. They represent a cornerstone of global copper supply due to their scale and long mine life.
At John Hill, mineralisation consists of quartz vein-hosted and disseminated chalcopyrite ±bornite and molybdenite within granodiorite and quartz-feldspar porphyry. The mineralisation is dominantly hosted within the granodiorite, which predates the lesser mineralised quartz-feldspar porphyry. A supergene blanket of chalcocite is variably developed across the prospect and reaches up to 80m thick.
What this means for you as an investor: porphyry deposits offer scale, predictable metallurgy, and long operational horizons. Copper’s role in electrification, renewable energy infrastructure, and data centre expansion underpins sustained demand, making large, well-located deposits like John Hill strategically valuable.
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Timeline and next steps for investors
Drilling is commencing now, with the contractor setting up on the first pad. Canterbury expects to deliver a steady flow of news as the program advances:
- 2026 — +2,000m diamond drilling program underway, with results progressively reported as assays are received and interpreted
- Early 2027 — an interim Mineral Resource Estimate, incorporating all holes completed in 2026
- Throughout 2027 — continued drilling to expand the deposit laterally and at depth
This provides a clear catalyst pipeline for shareholders. Canterbury holds Mineral Resource Estimates across four deposits totalling 3.3Mt copper and 3.2Moz gold (Briggs, John Hill, Idzan Creek, and Wamum Creek), with partners including Rio Tinto and Alma Metals. John Hill represents the next value-creation focus, with the first assay results due in coming months.
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