White Cliff Minerals Reports Copper 19m Below Surface as Danvers Scales to 11.5km
Key Takeaways
- Drillhole DAN26052 intersected chalcocite-dominant copper sulphides from 27.9m downhole, placing visible copper within 19m vertically of surface — extending mineralisation more than 70m above the previously confirmed high-grade intercept of 33.53m @ 1.00% Cu from 103m.
- Assay-confirmed copper mineralisation at the Danvers district now spans more than 11.5km of combined strike across the Teshierpi Fault Zone (6.5km+) and Danvers 1 trend (5km+), with both systems open along strike and at depth.
- 2026 drilling has expanded the mineralised strike at Danvers 1 by more than 480%, growing from 821m to over 4.76km, with infill diamond drilling now underway to support an Exploration Target and maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.
- White Cliff reported 95.4% copper recovery via conventional flotation in an April 2026 metallurgical update, underpinning the processing economics of the chalcocite-dominant system.
- A dual-rig program is now active — Rig 1 targeting infill drilling at Danvers 1 for MRE progression, Rig 2 targeting the magnetic contact at Danvers 2 and 3 confirmed as the key control on higher-grade mineralisation.
Copper confirmed from just 19m below surface as Danvers district scales to 11.5km
White Cliff Minerals (ASX: WCN; OTCQB: WCMLF) has reported a significant near-surface result at the Danvers 3 target, with drillhole DAN26052 intersecting chalcocite-dominant copper sulphides from just 27.9m downhole, taking visible copper to within 19m vertically of surface. The hole was collared 60m from DAN26008, which had previously returned 33.53m @ 1.00% Cu from 103m, and DAN26052 extends mineralisation more than 70m vertically above that high-grade intercept.
The result adds to a rapidly expanding picture of scale across the Danvers district. Assay-confirmed copper mineralisation now spans more than 11.5km of combined strike across the Teshierpi Fault Zone (more than 6.5km) and the Danvers 1 trend (more than 5km), with both systems remaining open along strike and at depth.
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Drilling delivers across multiple fronts at the Danvers district
Danvers 3 — near-surface chalcocite system takes shape
DAN26052 logged 32.45m of chalcocite-dominant copper sulphides commencing at 27.9m downhole, with zones of up to 10% chalcocite observed forming breccia cement between 43.1m and 44.85m, as well as further veining and amygdule infill chalcocite present between 27.9m and 57.0m.
A cross-section through DAN26052 and DAN26008 (Figure 03 in the announcement) illustrates the vertical relationship clearly. DAN26052 sits above DAN26008, demonstrating that high-grade copper mineralisation — previously confirmed at depth — now has continuity extending to within 19m of surface. Both holes remain open at depth and along strike.
It is important to note that the 32.45m copper sulphide interval in DAN26052 is a visual estimate only. As the announcement states, visual estimates of mineral abundance should never be considered a proxy or substitute for laboratory analyses. Formal assays for further Danvers 3 drilling are expected within 4–6 weeks.
Danvers 1 — strike extended by 480% in 2026, northeast expansion confirmed
The latest Danvers 1 result comes from DAN26041, collared 275m southwest of DAN26024, which returned 16.10m @ 1.20% Cu within a broader interval of 35.50m @ 0.65% Cu from 193m. This result sits between DAN26027 (17m @ 1.41% Cu from 194m, 212m southwest) and DAN26024 (15.24m @ 0.86% Cu from 149.35m, 275m northeast), confirming continuous northeast strike extension of the copper system.
2026 drilling has expanded the mineralised strike at Danvers 1 by more than 480%, growing from 821m to more than 4.76km. Infill diamond drilling is now underway, designed to close geological gaps, increase confidence in mineralised volume and continuity, and refine grade distribution ahead of an Exploration Target and maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).
Earlier in 2026, White Cliff confirmed a 5.4km copper footprint at the Rae Project, a milestone that now reads as an interim data point on the way to the 11.5km combined strike reported in this latest release.
Danvers 4 results from the Teshierpi Fault Zone northeast were also returned in this release. These intervals are lower grade than those at Danvers 1 and 3, and are best understood as footprint-extension results confirming copper presence across a broad, geologically complex fault system. Selected key intervals from the Danvers 4 program are summarised below.
| Hole Number | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m) | Cu (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAN26042A | 79.10 | 83.28 | 4.18 | 0.87% |
| DAN26044 | 193.00 | 206.00 | 13.00 | 0.21% |
| DAN26044 | 251.00 | 254.00 | 3.00 | 0.78% |
| DAN26043 | 288.00 | 290.00 | 2.00 | 0.48% |
| DAN26037 | 160.50 | 166.50 | 6.00 | 0.27% |
| DAN26040 | 196.50 | 199.50 | 3.00 | 0.30% |
The northeast and central portions of the Teshierpi Fault Zone remain largely untested and carry favourable characteristics for further discovery.
What is chalcocite and why does near-surface copper matter to investors?
Chalcocite is a copper-rich secondary sulphide mineral that forms when primary copper minerals are chemically altered near the surface. It is notable for its high copper content and, critically, for responding well to conventional processing. White Cliff reported 95.4% Cu recovery via conventional flotation on material from the Danvers system in an April 2026 metallurgical update, pointing to strong processing characteristics for this mineralisation style.
Near-surface mineralisation matters for a different reason: it shapes the economics of any future mining scenario. Here is why the near-surface continuity at Danvers 3 is geologically significant:
- Lower strip ratios — mineralisation close to the surface requires less waste rock removal before ore is reached.
- Reduced mining depth — shallower resources generally carry lower development and extraction costs.
- Vertically connected system — DAN26052 links surface-proximal copper to the high-grade deeper intercepts from DAN26008, suggesting a continuous system from near-surface down to at least 280m depth.
- Magnetic contact as a grade control — diamond drilling has confirmed the magnetic contact as the key control on higher-grade mineralisation at Danvers 2 and 3, and a second rig is now specifically targeting these zones.
Troy Whittaker, Managing Director
“Danvers is rapidly emerging as a major copper district, with mineralisation now confirmed across more than 11.5km of combined strike at the Teshierpi Fault Zone and Danvers 1 trend – Both systems remaining open along strike and at depth… This combination of scale, grade and growth potential is increasingly valuable in a copper market where demand is outpacing supply.”
Two rigs, one target — the path to a maiden mineral resource estimate
White Cliff is now running a dual-rig program at the Danvers district, with each rig targeting a distinct priority.
Rig 1 is advancing infill diamond drilling at Danvers 1, focused on closing key gaps in the geological model, increasing confidence in mineralised volume and continuity, and refining grade distribution. These activities are designed to deliver a more robust geological model and accelerate progression from an Exploration Target to a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.
Rig 2 is targeting the magnetic contact at Danvers 2 and 3, now confirmed as the key control on higher-grade mineralisation across the Teshierpi Fault Zone.
Alongside the drilling programs, the company has commissioned an airborne magnetic, gravity and radiometric survey over approximately 70km of the Rae Group–Husky Creek Formation contact. The higher-resolution data are intended to improve geological interpretation and drill targeting at the Thor and Rocket targets, where 2024 surface rock sampling identified high-grade vein and breccia mineralisation.
The investment case at this stage rests on three identifiable pillars:
- Scale — more than 11.5km of assay-confirmed copper strike, with both the Teshierpi Fault Zone and Danvers 1 trend open along strike and at depth.
- Grade — a near-surface chalcocite-dominant system with high-grade intercepts confirmed across multiple zones, underpinned by strong metallurgical test results.
- Trajectory — a dual-rig program structured and designed to deliver an Exploration Target and maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.
Managing Director Troy Whittaker noted the broader context: copper demand is outpacing supply, making a district of this scale and grade increasingly relevant to the market.
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About White Cliff Minerals
White Cliff Minerals (ASX: WCN | OTCQB: WCMLF) is a copper explorer advancing the Rae Copper Project in Nunavut, Canada, one of the world’s leading mining jurisdictions. The project hosts two principal deposit styles: Danvers, a high-grade vein and breccia copper system along the Teshierpi Fault Zone, and Hulk, a sediment-hosted copper system along the Rae Group–Husky Creek Formation contact. Both systems remain active targets under the company’s current field programmes.
Beyond the Teshierpi Fault Zone and Danvers trends, Hulk copper drilling results have confirmed copper sulphide intersections at the project’s sediment-hosted system along the Rae Group-Husky Creek Formation contact, a structurally distinct deposit style that broadens the project’s overall geological inventory.
Ready to Explore the Scale of White Cliff Minerals’ Danvers Copper District?
With copper mineralisation now confirmed across more than 11.5km of combined strike and a near-surface chalcocite system sitting just 19m below surface, the Danvers district is rapidly taking shape as a significant copper discovery. A dual-rig program is already underway, targeting both grade continuity and the path to a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.
Explore the full scope of the Rae Copper Project’s growth potential by visiting the White Cliff Minerals investor profile on Discovery Alert, where you can track the latest drilling results and project developments as they emerge.