en.Wedoany.com Reported - BOA Resources (ASX: BOA) plans to initiate a 7,500-meter reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Neds Creek copper project in Western Australia in early August.
The company has completed heritage surveys, signed drilling contracts, and obtained engineering approvals for 53 drill holes. Drilling will first focus on the Ricci Lee prospect, aiming to collect data to support an initial Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE).
Ricci Lee comprises a 500-meter-long mineralized structure confirmed by historical mining works, eight RC drill holes, and shallow rotary air blast drilling. The mineralization remains open to the north, south, and at depth. The prospect is located approximately 2 kilometers southwest of the Thaduna copper deposit and occurs within the same stratigraphy.
Historical drilling at Ricci Lee returned two intercepts from hole THC035 at a vertical depth of approximately 200 meters: 5 meters at 3.48% copper and 10 meters at 5.12% copper. BOA stated that these intervals occur in fresh rock containing chalcopyrite and bornite. The company plans to test extensions of the known mineralization and increase drill density across the entire prospect.
Managing Director Graeme Purcell said that completing heritage, contract, and permitting requirements has cleared the way for BOA's first drilling at Neds Creek. "We are well-funded to execute drilling and other exploration activities, and we look forward to starting this drilling program, with Ricci Lee as our top priority," Purcell said.
BOA recently also announced an agreement to acquire the Thaduna and Green Dragon copper deposits, which together host 5.3 million tonnes of ore at 2.30% copper, containing 121,000 tonnes of copper. Thaduna accounts for 4.1 million tonnes of ore at 2.50% copper, containing 103,000 tonnes of copper.
The broader first-phase exploration at Neds Creek also includes 7,500 meters of air-core drilling targeting structurally controlled copper mineralization. BOA's 2026 exploration program covers Ricci Lee, Rooney's, and four other priority prospects within the 1,378-square-kilometer project.
