BOA Resources Drills 3.54% Copper, Stretching Rooneys Trend Past 500m
Key Takeaways
- Maiden aircore drilling at Rooneys extended the mineralised trend beyond 500m, with high-grade copper found over an extra 320m of strike beyond the 200m the program set out to test.
- Hole 26NCAC0016 returned 4m at 3.54% Cu from 10m and 16m at 2.47% Cu from 58m, the deeper zone unrelated to any known mineralised position and pointing to a possible second structure.
- BOA is planning an expanded RC program at Rooneys after deferring its original RC metres to Ricci Lee, with no resource estimate yet stated.
- Assays remain pending for 21 Blockley holes, all Mueller, Limestone Bore and Ward holes, and 12 Ricci Lee RC holes, which BOA says will supply substantial news flow through Q4 2026.
- Shareholders approved on 12 October 2026 the acquisition of the remaining 51% of Neds Creek plus 100% of Thaduna and Green Dragon, with completion imminent and no price disclosed.
Rooneys copper strike extends beyond 500m in maiden aircore results
BOA Resources (ASX: BOA) has reported maiden aircore (AC) drilling results at the Rooneys prospect, part of the Neds Creek Copper Project in Western Australia. The results extend the interpreted mineralised trend to more than 500m, similar in length to the Ricci Lee prospect.
All 23 holes (1,486m) have been assayed. The program was planned to test 200m of known strike, yet drilling intersected high-grade copper over an additional 320m of strike to the west of the main mineralised trend.
Headline intersections include:
- 4m at 3.54% Cu from 10m and 16m at 2.47% Cu from 58m (26NCAC0016)
- 10m at 1.75% Cu from 51m (26NCAC0001)
- 9m at 1.52% Cu from 28m (26NCAC0004)
A longer strike gives follow-up reverse circulation (RC) drilling a bigger target to test. High grades beginning from just 10m downhole are also a useful sign, because shallow copper is easier to reach and test.
Graeme Purcell, Managing Director
“Copper mineralisation at Rooneys has been identified over a considerably longer strike than originally mapped and the newly identified cross-cutting mineralised structure is evidence of another potentially significant copper system.”
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What new structures open additional targets?
The results point to more than one mineralised position at Rooneys. Two holes stand out.
A second high-grade structure at 26NCAC0016
In this hole, the upper intersection of 4m at 3.54% Cu from 10m is interpreted to be part of the main western extension. The deeper 16m at 2.47% Cu appears unrelated to a known mineralised position “at this stage”, and BOA says it highlights the potential for a second high-grade structure to test.
A north-trending structure at 26NCAC0021
Hole 26NCAC0021 intersected 4m at 1.08% Cu from 57m, in the interpreted position of a mapped north-trending structure. BOA describes it as another structural position to test. Hole 26NCAC0011 also returned 2m at 2.00% Cu from 53m.
The table below lists key Rooneys intersections from the announcement.
| Hole ID | From (m) | Downhole width (m) | Cu % | Ag g/t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26NCAC0001 | 51 | 10 | 1.75 | 0.9 |
| 26NCAC0004 | 28 | 9 | 1.52 | 1.3 |
| 26NCAC0011 | 53 | 2 | 2.00 | 2.8 |
| 26NCAC0016 | 10 | 4 | 3.54 | 0 |
| 26NCAC0016 | 58 | 16 | 2.47 | 3.6 |
| 26NCAC0021 | 57 | 4 | 1.08 | 4.2 |
All intersections are downhole widths, and true widths are not yet known. Significant intercepts are a minimum 2m downhole length reported above 0.2% Cu.
How does aircore drilling guide copper exploration?
Aircore is a shallow drilling method. Explorers generally use it to test broad areas quickly and cheaply before committing to deeper drilling. The source does not detail BOA’s cost comparison, so treat this as general context.
For you as an investor, the practical point is prioritisation. Strong shallow hits help show where the more expensive RC holes should go.
No RC drilling was undertaken at Rooneys in this campaign. The planned RC drilling was deferred and its metres reallocated to Ricci Lee. Because of the increase in mapped strike extent, BOA is now planning an expanded follow-up RC program to test:
- Continuity of the mineralisation
- Depth extensions
- The newly identified mineralised zones
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What is next for Neds Creek and the news flow ahead?
Rooneys is one of several targets in the AC program, and the other prospects are still reporting.
Blockley early results
Assays have been received for 7 of the 28 holes drilled at Blockley. Results include 5m at 1.26% Cu from 78m (26NCAC0026), and 3m at 0.38% Cu from 11m and 11m at 1.01% Cu from 58m (26NCAC0042).
BOA called these results encouraging. Interpretation of continuity and structural controls will be refined once the remaining 21 holes are assayed.
Pending assays
Assays remain pending for:
- Another 21 AC holes at Blockley
- All holes at the Mueller, Limestone Bore and Ward prospects
- The 12 remaining Ricci Lee RC holes
BOA says this provides “substantial assay news flow through Q4 2026.”
For readers wanting the background to this program, our full explainer on the maiden Neds Creek drilling campaign sets out how the aircore and RC drilling was scoped across the Ricci Lee, Rooneys and other prospects when the work began in August.
Acquisition and broader copper province potential
BOA says the results strengthen the potential for additional copper systems across Neds Creek beyond Thaduna, Green Dragon and Ricci Lee. Neds Creek is a basin-scale project with a 1,378km² tenement holding in the Yerrida Basin. It lies within the Capricorn Orogen, which also hosts the DeGrussa, Monty and Horseshoe Lights copper-gold deposits.
BOA currently owns a 49% interest in Neds Creek and is the operator. It proposes to acquire the remaining 51% of Neds Creek and 100% of the Thaduna and Green Dragon copper deposits.
The company received shareholder approval at the General Meeting on 12 October 2026. Completion is “imminent, subject to confirmation that the remaining conditions precedent have been satisfied.” The announcement does not disclose an acquisition price or consideration.
These are exploration results only, and the announcement states no resource estimate. Further drilling will determine whether the Rooneys mineralisation holds up with depth and along strike.
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