BOA Resources Ltd (ASX:BOA) has reached a key permitting milestone at the Neds Creek Copper Project in Western Australia’s Murchison region, with the Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration commencing the grant of the project tenements.

Proactive Investors has reported Seven of 14 tenement applications have now been granted, representing 64% of the total project area. Importantly, the two tenements covering proposed drilling are among those now granted, with the balance expected to follow in the near future.

BOA tenements in the Murchison Copper Belt, WA.

BOA is progressing heritage surveys and final drill preparations across six priority copper prospect areas: Ricci Lee, Rooneys, Blockley, Mueller, Ward and Limestone Bore.

Managing director Cath Norman said the tenement grant marked an important step forward for the company and the Neds Creek Project.

“This is a pivotal time for the company. Copper market conditions remain highly supportive, BOA is in a strong cash position, and we are fully funded for the upcoming drilling program,” Norman said.

“With Ricci Lee as our priority target for resource definition drilling and several other highly encouraging copper prospects ready for follow-up, we believe Neds Creek is exceptionally well placed to generate strong news flow and exploration success through 2026.”

Tenements granted over copper project area

Neds Creek is a basin-scale copper project in the Yerrida Basin, covering 1,143.9 square kilometres across an area of about 40 kilometres by 20 kilometres in the northern arm of the Paleoproterozoic basin.

The tenements surround the Thaduna and Green Dragon copper deposits and sit within the broader Murchison Copper Belt, a region that includes several known base metal systems.

BOA acquired a 49% interest in Neds Creek at the end of 2025 and holds an exclusive option to acquire the remaining interest in the project.

The granted tenements are a material step in advancing exploration, particularly as they include the ground required for the company’s planned first-phase drilling program.

Preparing for drilling across six prospects

BOA is preparing an initial drilling campaign comprising 7,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling and 7,500 metres of aircore drilling.

The campaign will target structurally controlled copper mineralisation across 2 principal orientations: northwest-striking, west-dipping structures consistent with the Thaduna orientation, and east-west-striking, north-dipping structures consistent with the Green Dragon orientation.

The company has identified six priority targets for the first phase of work.

BOA Copper prospects at Neds Creek.

Ricci Lee is the leading target and the focus for resource definition drilling. The prospect is about two kilometres southwest of the Thaduna Copper Deposit and is interpreted as a geological analogue of Thaduna, which has been reported at 5.5 million tonnes at 2.2% copper for 119,000 tonnes of contained copper and 829,000 ounces of silver.

Historical drilling at Ricci Lee defined a 500-metre-long mineralised structure that remains open along strike to the north and south. Previous results include 5 metres at 3.48% copper and 10 metres at 5.12% copper in fresh rock from hole THC035.

Rooneys is BOA’s second-priority target, about 3.5 kilometres west of Green Dragon. Previous drilling returned results including 14 metres at 3.87% copper and 7 metres at 3.99% copper. BOA plans to drill 5 additional RC sections over a 200-metre strike length, supported by 9 aircore lines to test extensions and other mapped mineralised orientations.

Wider project pipeline

The broader Neds Creek pipeline includes Blockley, Mueller, Ward and Limestone Bore, each of which will be tested as part of the initial campaign.

Blockley, 1.5 kilometres northeast of Green Dragon, has returned historical intercepts including 4 metres at 3.57% copper, 2 metres at 3.10% copper and 3 metres at 2.29% copper. Planned drilling will test whether mineralisation extends across the contact between the Thaduna Formation and the Johnson Cairn Formation.

Mueller, about 2 kilometres northeast of Thaduna, has not been previously drilled but has returned ore-grade rock chip results from historic workings. Sampling by earlier explorers returned copper grades including 6.10%, 6.28% and 5.76%.

Ward lies less than 1 kilometre east of Green Dragon and contains 2 target areas. Historical AC drilling returned results including 6 metres at 2.51% copper and 8 metres at 2.72% copper.

Limestone Bore, about 8 kilometres west of the main prospect cluster, was identified from shallow RAB drilling in 2006 and has returned historical results including 3 metres at 3.01% copper and 10 metres at 1.28% copper.

What’s next?

Heritage surveys have commenced and drilling is planned to begin following completion of heritage and site access work.

BOA said it was fully funded for the drilling program, with about $3.2 million in cash at the end of the March quarter.

The first phase of drilling is designed to test known copper mineralisation, follow up historical ore-grade intersections and advance Ricci Lee toward potential resource definition.

The company is also integrating historical exploration data, geophysics and machine-learning-assisted targeting to generate further exploration opportunities across the broader Neds Creek landholding.

About BOA Resources

BOA Resources is focused on copper and other critical mineral opportunities in Australia.

Its flagship focus is the Neds Creek Copper Project in Western Australia’s Murchison region, where it holds a 49% interest and an exclusive option to acquire the remainder.

The company also holds interests across several other Australian projects, including lithium, nickel-copper-cobalt and gold exploration assets.