The Australian newspaper Special Report: BOA Resources’ maiden drilling program is supporting continuity of high-grade mineralisation in the southern portion of the Ricci Lee prospect after assays from the first six holes returned significant copper intersections.

• First six Ricci Lee RC holes all hit significant copper
• Best results include 14m at 2.49% Cu and 15m at 2.25% Cu
• Assays from another 40 Ricci Lee RC holes remain pending

While all the initial holes contained intervals grading above 1% copper, they also returned standout results such as:

• 14m grading 2.49% Cu from 122m including 7m at 4.60% Cu (26NCRC001)
• 15m at 2.25% Cu from 130m (26NCRC003); and
• 12m at 1.58% Cu from 64m including 3m at 3.38% Cu and 2m at 3.14% Cu (26NCRC004).

BOA Resources (ASX:BOA) completed 46 holes totalling 7364m at the Ricci Lee prospect within the Neds Creek project in WA after expanding the program past its original 5500m plan to add strike extensions, deeper holes and tighter-spaced continuity drilling.

It tested the interpreted mineralised structure over 640m of strike and about 220m vertically.

Managing director Graeme Purcell said the results support grade continuity in the southern part of the system and reinforce Ricci Lee’s potential to support a maiden resource.

“The 138-hole, 13,086m drilling campaign was completed safely and within budget across our priority copper prospects at Neds Creek,” he added.

“With another 40 Ricci Lee holes pending, together with results from AC drilling, a much broader, largely untested area across five additional prospects, BOA has substantial exploration news flow ahead.”

Copper squeeze

Ricci Lee sits about 2km southwest of Thaduna, which has a Mineral Resource of 4.1Mt at 2.5% Cu for 103kt contained copper.

BOA interprets Ricci Lee as a geological analogue as the two deposits occur in the same stratigraphic and structural setting.

The results highlight potential for a copper resource amidst a tightening longer-term outlook for the red metal.

Despite an improving project pipeline, the International Energy Agency sees a gap of about 25% between expected mine supply from existing and announced projects and primary copper supply requirements in 2035 under the Stated Policies Scenario in its Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026.

Another 40 Ricci Lee RC holes are awaiting assays, along with aircore results from Rooneys, Blockley, Mueller, Ward and Limestone Bore.