BOA Resources Hits High-Grade Copper in All Six Ricci Lee Holes With 40 Still Pending
Key Takeaways
- BOA Resources confirmed high-grade copper mineralisation in all six initial RC holes at Ricci Lee, including headline intercepts of 14m at 2.49% Cu from 122m and 15m at 2.25% Cu from 130m, with high-grade cores reaching 4.60% Cu over 7m.
- The 100% hit rate across six holes supports grade continuity across the southern part of the Ricci Lee system, strengthening the case for a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.
- 40 of the 46 Ricci Lee RC holes remain pending assay, with results expected to flow through Q4 CY2026, alongside aircore results from five additional prospects across Neds Creek.
- BOA currently holds 49% of the Neds Creek Copper Project and is seeking shareholder approval at a General Meeting on 12 October 2026 to acquire 100% of the project, including the Thaduna and Green Dragon copper deposits.
- Ricci Lee sits in the same geological setting as the Thaduna Copper Deposit, which carries a Mineral Resource Estimate of 4.1Mt at 2.5% Cu for 103kt of contained copper.
High-grade copper confirmed across all six initial Ricci Lee holes
BOA Resources (ASX: BOA) has confirmed high-grade copper mineralisation across all six initial RC holes at its Ricci Lee prospect within the Neds Creek Copper Project in Western Australia. The 100% hit rate from the first results of a 46-hole maiden RC drilling program includes headline intersections of 14m at 2.49% Cu from 122m and 15m at 2.25% Cu from 130m, with 40 holes still pending assay.
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Q4 CY2026 assay news flow: what the drill table shows
All six reported holes intersected the targeted main mineralised zone, a north-northwest trending high-level brittle carbon-filled fault with strong copper and associated silver mineralisation. The significant intersections from Table 1 of the announcement are presented below.
Note: All widths are reported as downhole widths. True widths are not yet known.
| Hole ID | From–To (m) | Downhole Width (m) | Cu % | Ag g/t |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26NCRC001 | 122–136 | 14 | 2.49% | 4 |
| Incl. | 128–135 | 7 | 4.60% | 7.8 |
| 26NCRC002 | 84–93 | 9 | 1.69% | 4.3 |
| Incl. | 87–90 | 3 | 4.43% | 11.8 |
| 26NCRC003 | 130–145 | 15 | 2.25% | 6.1 |
| Incl. | 131–144 | 13 | 2.55% | 6.9 |
| 26NCRC004 | 64–76 | 12 | 1.58% | 4 |
| Incl. | 65–68 | 3 | 3.38% | 8.5 |
| And | 72–74 | 2 | 3.14% | 8.3 |
| 26NCRC005 | 97–100 | 3 | 1.31% | 0.1 |
| Incl. | 97–99 | 2 | 1.57% | 0.1 |
| 119–122 | 3 | 0.67% | 0.6 | |
| 145–149 | 4 | 0.53% | 0.2 | |
| 26NCRC006 | 160–164 | 4 | 0.84% | 1.9 |
| Incl. | 160–162 | 2 | 1.37% | 3.5 |
| 188–204 | 16 | 1.07% | 0.5 | |
| Incl. | 190–199 | 9 | 1.51% | 0.7 |
The four standout intercepts from this initial batch are worth noting in plain terms:
- 26NCRC001: 14m at 2.49% Cu from 122m depth, with a high-grade core of 7m at 4.60% Cu.
- 26NCRC002: 9m at 1.69% Cu from 84m, including a sharp 3m at 4.43% Cu — high-grade mineralisation encountered at relatively shallow depth.
- 26NCRC003: 15m at 2.25% Cu from 130m, including 13m at 2.55% Cu.
- 26NCRC004: 12m at 1.58% Cu from 64m, with two high-grade sub-intervals of 3m at 3.38% Cu and 2m at 3.14% Cu.
What is RC drilling and why does grade continuity matter?
Reverse circulation (RC) drilling is a method where a drill bit is pushed into the ground and rock chips are returned to the surface through the inside of the drill rods using compressed air. It is fast, cost-effective, and produces reliable samples for assay, making it the preferred technique for testing copper systems at this stage of exploration.
Grade continuity is the concept that matters most when interpreting a set of drill results like these. When multiple holes drilled across a prospect all return similarly elevated copper grades, it tells geologists the mineralisation is consistent across the system, not just a localised pocket. Isolated high-grade hits can be noise. Consistent high grades across adjacent holes begin to define a pattern with economic potential.
When that continuity holds across multiple sections, it supports the case for a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate. A Mineral Resource Estimate is the formal, independently reviewed quantification of how much mineralised material may be in the ground and at what grade, classified under the JORC Code. It is a material step in converting exploration results into a defined resource.
Ricci Lee sits in the same stratigraphic and structural setting as the Thaduna Copper Deposit, which carries a Mineral Resource Estimate of 4.1Mt at 2.5% Cu for 103kt contained copper. The announcement describes Ricci Lee as interpreted to be a geological analogue of Thaduna. This is provided as geological context, not as a direct comparison or implied equivalence in resource terms.
Neds Creek: scale of the project behind the results
A 138-hole campaign, completed safely and on budget
The Ricci Lee results sit within a much larger completed drilling campaign across the Neds Creek Copper Project. BOA’s maiden program totalled 138 holes for 13,086m drilled across six priority prospects.
BOA initiated the maiden copper drilling at Neds Creek in August 2026 with a program designed to systematically test six priority prospects, originally planned for 5,500m at Ricci Lee before being expanded to 7,364m as early structural results justified additional strike and depth coverage.
The six prospects tested were:
- Ricci Lee
- Rooneys
- Blockley
- Mueller
- Ward
- Limestone Bore
RC drilling at Ricci Lee comprised 46 holes for 7,364m, testing the interpreted mineralised structure over 640m of strike and approximately 220m vertically. The program was expanded beyond its original 5,500m plan to test strike extensions, add deeper holes, and assess short-range continuity. Aircore (AC) drilling was completed at Rooneys, Blockley, Mueller, Ward and Limestone Bore, comprising 92 holes for 5,722m.
Managing Director Graeme Purcell
“These are outstanding first results from Ricci Lee, where we aimed to infill and extend the known mineralised system. All six initial holes returned significant copper mineralisation, including broad, high-grade intersections. The results support grade continuity in the southern part of the system and reinforce Ricci Lee’s potential to support a maiden Mineral Resource.
“The 138-hole, 13,086m drilling campaign was completed safely and within budget across our priority copper prospects at Neds Creek…”
Ownership trajectory worth watching
BOA currently holds a 49% interest in the Neds Creek Project and operates it. Subject to shareholder approval at a General Meeting proposed for 12 October 2026, BOA proposes to acquire 100% of Neds Creek, including the Thaduna and Green Dragon copper deposits. This corporate milestone is pending alongside the ongoing assay news flow, and the outcome is not certain until shareholders vote.
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What comes next: 40 holes still to speak
The six results released here represent only the beginning of what is expected to be a continuous flow of announcements into Q4 CY2026. All drill samples have been submitted to Intertek Laboratory in Maddington, though the company has noted that high demand at Perth assay laboratories may affect turnaround times.
Upcoming catalysts to watch include:
- Remaining 40 Ricci Lee RC assay results still pending
- AC drilling results from Rooneys, Blockley, Mueller, Ward and Limestone Bore
- General Meeting on 12 October 2026 — shareholder vote on the proposed 100% Neds Creek acquisition
- Potential future RC drilling at Rooneys, where metres originally allocated in this campaign were redirected to additional and deeper drilling at Ricci Lee
- Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate pathway, if results continue to support grade continuity across the system
With a 100% hit rate from the first six holes and a broad pipeline of results anticipated, the exploration news flow from Neds Creek is expected to remain active through the remainder of 2026.
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