Solstice Minerals Hits 91m of Copper-Gold Beyond Resource Edge With 40 Holes Pending
Key Takeaways
- NANRCD058 returned 91.4m @ 0.97% Cu and 0.42g/t Au from 143m, including 4.9m @ 4.67% Cu, well beyond the current MRE boundary.
- NANRCD014 delivered 64.1m @ 0.94% Cu and 54.8m @ 0.83% Cu, with grades increasing downhole to 6m @ 2.26% Cu.
- The Inferred MRE of 40.4Mt @ 0.4% Cu holds 162,000 tonnes of copper, but no update is planned yet and true widths are unknown.
- Assays are pending from 13 diamond holes and over 30 RC holes, with three rigs drilling through the rest of 2026.
- Solstice reported $45 million cash and no debt as at 30 June 2026, funding the multi-rig program.
Five diamond tails deliver wide copper-gold hits at Nanadie
Five new diamond “tails” at the Nanadie copper-gold project have returned wide intercepts well beyond the current Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) boundary, according to a 13 October 2026 update from Solstice Minerals (ASX: SLS). The company says the results reinforce the potential to materially increase both the volume and grade of the MRE.
The headline result is NANRCD058, which returned a combined RC and diamond intercept of 91.4m @ 0.97% Cu, 0.42g/t Au from 143m, including 4.9m @ 4.67% Cu, 1.01g/t Au from 222m. NANRCD014 added 64.1m @ 0.94% Cu and 54.8m @ 0.83% Cu.
The 100%-owned Nanadie Copper-Gold Project sits northwest of Sandstone in Western Australia’s Goldfields. Intercepts like these show mineralisation running thick and continuous at depth, which is what resource growth depends on.
Nick Castleden, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
“Nanadie is turning into a mineralised system with demonstrable scale and continuity…”
“The eastern margin of the host gabbro is emerging as a particularly important MRE expansion target…”
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Standout intercepts across the eastern gabbro margin
The best results cluster along the eastern margin of the host gabbro, the rock unit that hosts the copper. All intercepts are downhole lengths only, and true width is not known.
Earlier step-out RC drilling had already extended the mineralised system to at least 1.5km of strike, with NANRCD001 returning 169.3m @ 0.87% Cu on the same eastern gabbro margin.
NANRCD014 and NANRCD042
NANRCD014 returned several strong intercepts with grades increasing downhole. Within the 54.8m @ 0.83% Cu zone sits 25.6m @ 1.33% Cu, 0.53g/t Au from 453m. The 64.1m @ 0.94% Cu zone includes 23.7m @ 1.49% Cu, 0.44g/t Au from 520.9m and 6m @ 2.26% Cu, 0.33g/t Au from 565.0m.
NANRCD042 is a step-back hole on the same section, and only partial assays have been returned. The lowermost assays include 18m @ 1.11% Cu, 0.56g/t Au from 382m, with further assay results pending.
NANRCD017 and silver
NANRCD017 returned widespread mineralisation below the current MRE, including 60.0m @ 0.59% Cu, 0.18g/t Au from 372m and 45.8m @ 0.80% Cu, 0.16g/t Au from 452.1m.
It also intersected 7m @ 1,019g/t silver from 499m, including 2m @ 3,103g/t silver from 500.8m. The company says the geometry and significance of this and other silver-dominant intercepts remain unclear and need further work. It says the results are likely to represent a late-stage mineralising event.
NANRCD058 and NANRCD059
These two holes sit immediately north of a local cross-fault. Where this mineralised position extends toward the surface, the company says it may have a positive impact on future open pit optimisations and early mine plans.
NANRCD059 returned 25.4m @ 1.00% Cu, 0.15g/t Au from 450.6m, plus 32m @ 0.43% Cu, 0.05g/t Au from 385m.
| Hole | Interval | Cu % | Au g/t | From (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NANRCD014 | **54.8m** | **0.83** | 0.30 | 453.0 |
| NANRCD014 | **64.1m** | **0.94** | 0.23 | 520.9 |
| NANRCD042 | **18m** (partial assays) | **1.11** | 0.56 | 382.0 |
| NANRCD017 | **60.0m** | **0.59** | 0.18 | 372.0 |
| NANRCD017 | **45.8m** | **0.80** | 0.16 | 452.1 |
| NANRCD058 | **91.4m** | **0.97** | 0.42 | 143.0 |
| NANRCD059 | **25.4m** | **1.00** | 0.15 | 450.6 |
Understanding diamond tails and resource growth
The drilling method is two-stage. Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling first creates a “pre-collar” down to a set depth, then a diamond “tail” extends the hole deeper and recovers solid core. The company calls this a highly efficient exploration methodology.
The existing resource is an Inferred MRE, the lowest confidence category, meaning geological evidence suggests mineralisation but with less certainty than higher categories. It stands at 40.4Mt @ 0.4% Cu and 0.1g/t Au, containing 162,000 tonnes of copper and 130,000 ounces of gold. About 90% sits in fresh rock below a weathering profile of less than 40m.
Mineralisation beyond the MRE boundary, and grades above the MRE grade, are what could grow the resource. For you as an investor, that is the link between drill results and potential value. The company points to several features of the deposit:
- Scale: a mineralised system more than 1.5km long
- Grade: zones above 1% Cu where chalcopyrite veining increases
- Shallow cover: beneath shallow cover and weathering
- Tenure: a granted Mining Lease
- Sulphide profile: no deleterious sulphide species present
No MRE update is being made at this time. Metallurgical and other modifying factor work has not yet been investigated, with metallurgical testing at an advanced planning phase.
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Three rigs, 40+ holes pending and a funded runway
Three drill rigs are operating at Nanadie, and the multi-rig program is expected to continue throughout the remainder of 2026. Assays are pending from a further 13 completed diamond holes and over 30 RC holes, which points to steady news flow in the coming months.
The company reported $45 million cash (as at 30 June 2026) and no debt. That is the latest balance the announcement gives, so treat it as a snapshot rather than a current figure.
Planned and ongoing work includes:
- Step-down diamond drilling below the existing resource
- Downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) targets, such as the NANRCD033 conductor plate
- IP and downhole EM geophysics
- Targets at the nearby Stark Prospect and exploration corridors north of Nanadie and Stark beneath shallow transported cover
- Metallurgical testing, at an advanced planning phase
The company describes Nanadie as sitting in flat terrain in a mining-friendly jurisdiction, within WA’s infrastructure-rich Goldfields.
Castleden said: “With assays pending from over 40 drillholes, shareholders can expect strong news flow in the weeks ahead.”
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