Kantra Copper pulls in big hits at Emily Star ahead of resource update

• High-grade copper-gold intersections continue to extend Emily Star mineralisation
• Drilling reaches around 200m below the existing Emily Star resource
• Updated resource and ore reserve statement expected this month

Special Report: Fresh drill hits show high-grade copper-gold beyond the existing resource at Emily Star, part of the producing Kanmantoo mine in South Australia.

Kantra Copper (ASX:KAN) has reported further encouraging results from underground diamond drilling, strengthening the potential to grow resources at a deposit already approved as Kanmantoo’s third underground mining front.

Standout results include 11.45m at 1.74% copper and 0.11g/t gold from 285m downhole.

Another hole returned two strong intersections of 8m at 1.33% copper and 0.55g/t gold from 223m, and 5m at 3.07% copper and 0.14g/t gold from 243m.

The results are downhole intervals, with the drilling continuing to refine the understanding of Emily Star’s mineralisation geometry and structural controls.

Recent drilling has now intersected mineralisation approximately 200m below the 2024 resource estimate, providing further evidence of the system’s potential to grow at depth.

Emily Star shows its potential

Emily Star already hosts an inferred resource of 2.6Mt at 0.77% copper and 0.08g/t gold, containing approximately 20,000t of copper and 7000oz of gold.

The latest drilling has intersected mineralisation down to the 720m reduced level, roughly 200m below the existing resource estimate, while the major mineralised structures have been identified to approximately 840m RL.

Increasing drilling density has also delineated narrow high-grade zones, improving the company’s understanding of the geological pathways responsible for copper mineralisation.

Interestingly, drilling has identified isolated occurrences of the copper sulphide mineral bornite, often associated with these high-grade zones.

Kantra plans further petrological analysis to investigate the bornite mineralisation and improve its geological interpretation.

The results have reinforced management’s confidence in the deposit’s growth potential ahead of a major resource milestone.

“These results further strengthen our confidence in Emily Star as a growth opportunity for Kanmantoo, with drilling continuing to extend mineralisation beyond the current Mineral Resource Estimate,” Kantra Copper CEO and managing director Bob Fulker said.

“Resource growth remains a key priority, and we look forward to incorporating the outcomes of our 2026 drilling programs into the updated Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve statement scheduled for release later this month.”

Bigger ambitions at Kanmantoo

The latest exploration success comes as Kantra advances the development of Emily Star as a third underground mining front, alongside the producing Kavanagh and Nugent deposits.

The project was approved for development in July, with stoping scheduled to commence in the second half of 2027.

Emily Star is intended to provide an additional ore source, greater mining flexibility and support for higher throughput through the existing Kanmantoo processing infrastructure.

The company is targeting a pathway to processing more than 2Mtpa as Emily Star comes online, building on the 1.8Mtpa underground mining and milling run rate achieved in June.

Copper production at Kanmantoo reached 3419t in the September quarter, up 7.8% from the June quarter, while operating mine cash flow rose to $32.1m.

Meanwhile, Emily Star’s development is gathering momentum.

Following completion of the recent drilling program, underground development recommenced, with 194m advanced in the incline and internal stockpile area by the end of September.

That stockpile has been designed to serve as a future drilling platform, enabling Kantra to test mineralisation further at depth.

Surface portal development is also underway, with the box cut established, ground support installed and early blasting commencing to establish the main access point.

The combination of resource-extension drilling and progressing mine access gives Kantra further options as it works towards bringing the third mining front into production.

Resource update drawing closer

Elsewhere at Kanmantoo, Kantra has received final results from its Kavanagh surface drilling campaign.

The sixth and final wedge hole returned 4m at 0.51% copper and 0.14g/t gold from 831m downhole, approximately 50m deeper than the preceding wedge hole.

While the copper grades were relatively modest, the intersection identified alteration associated with the Kavanagh mineralised system, helping Kantra refine its understanding of the mineralised corridor at depth.

Future drilling will focus on improving the geological interpretation of Kavanagh’s deeper extensions.

Kantra completed 44,473m of underground diamond drilling during 2026 to the end of September, adding to the substantial drilling database underpinning its annual resource and reserve review.

The updated resource and ore reserve statement remains scheduled for release before the end of October.

This article was developed in collaboration with Kantra Copper, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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