Additional high-grade surface assay results
Bradda Head Lithium Ltd has announced additional surface assay results from its Whistlejacket Lithium Project, with the latest batch returning up to 3.90% Li₂O. Of the 41 rock samples analyzed, 19 exceeded 0.50% Li₂O, and 15 surpassed 1.00% Li₂O, strengthening priority targets as the company commences its Phase 3 drilling program. These results, combined with historical data, support the exploration of the spodumene-bearing pegmatite system, with geochemical analysis indicating a well-fractionated LCT pegmatite system and low iron content across all samples.
Select text to share a quote on X · sign in to keep highlights & notes in your BHL notes
Bradda Head Lithium Ltd (AIM: BHL), the North America-focused lithium development Group, is pleased to announce additional high-grade surface assay results from its Whistlejacket Lithium Project ("Whistlejacket" or "WJ"), held under the Company's Option to Joint Venture agreement with Kennecott Exploration Company ("KEX"). The results represent the third and final phase of Bradda Head's 2026 rock-chip sampling programme and further strengthen several priority targets as the Company transitions into the Phase 3 drilling programme currently being conducted on the project and first programme under Bradda Head. Combined with KEX's historical exploration data, the results provide additional geological and geochemical support for testing the continuity, geometry and potential scale of the spodumene-bearing pegmatite system at depth.
Highlights:
- The latest batch of surface samples return high-grade lithium assays of up to 3.90% Li₂O;
- Of the 41 rock samples analyzed, 19 (46.3%) returned grades above 0.50% Li₂O, including 15 samples (36.6%) above 1.00% Li₂O and 13 samples (31.7%) above 1.50% Li₂O;
- Results further strengthen several priority targets, including areas identified by KEX and new targets generated by Bradda Head, providing further geological support for the Phase 3 drilling programme;
- Geochemical results continue to indicate a well-fractionated LCT pegmatite system, with elevated tantalum, niobium, cesium and rubidium supporting the interpretation of rare-element enrichment; and
- All 41 rock samples returned low iron contents below 1.0% Fe, with the majority below 0.4% Fe, consistent with the low-iron characteristics observed across the Whistlejacket pegmatites.
Ian Stalker, Executive Chair, commented:
"This final batch of surface results provides further encouragement as we begin Bradda's first drilling programme at Whistlejacket, following two previous phases of drilling completed by KEX. The combination of high-grade lithium assays, low iron content and strong LCT geochemical signatures continues to reinforce our confidence in the quality and prospectivity of the pegmatite system.
"With this phase of the 2026 surface programme concluded, our focus is firmly on drilling and advancing Whistlejacket through its next stage of exploration. The programme will test the continuity, geometry and scale of these spodumene-bearing pegmatites at depth, including several targets that have not previously been drill tested. We look forward to updating shareholders as drilling progresses."
Surface samples
The Company has received assay results from its third round of surface sampling at Whistlejacket (Figure 1 & 2). The surface sampling continued to focus on both new targets generated by the BHL exploration team and prospective areas previously identified by KEX, increasing sample coverage across the project and providing additional geochemical information to further refine and support priority drill targets.
To date, BHL has now received laboratory results for a total of 303 surface samples, with the latest 43 samples forming the basis of this announcement. These results conclude the planned 2026 rock-chip sampling programme, with the Company's exploration activities now transitioning to the Phase 3 drilling programme, where the focus will shift to testing the continuity, geometry and potential scale of the spodumene-bearing pegmatites at depth.
A total of 43 samples were submitted to SGS Canada Inc ("SGS") for analysis, comprising 41 rock samples and two Certified Reference Materials ("CRMs") for quality control purposes (Figure 2). Of the 41 rock samples, 19 returned grades exceeding 0.50% Li₂O, including 15 samples grading above 1.00% Li₂O (36.6% of the rock samples submitted) and 13 samples exceeding 1.50% Li₂O (Table 1). Sampling continued to focus on pegmatites ranging from 1.0 to 6.0 meters wide, hosting coarse-grained spodumene crystals. The highest assay returned 3.90% Li₂O from a near-horizontal pegmatite estimated to be 4 meters thick, located southeast of the main target areas. Lithium grades across the rock samples ranged from 0.01% to 3.90% Li₂O.
All 41 rock samples returned low iron contents (<1.0% Fe), with the majority containing less than 0.4% Fe, further supporting the favorable mineralogical and potential metallurgical characteristics of the project. In addition to lithium, the sampling programme returned elevated concentrations of tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), cesium (Cs) and rubidium (Rb), consistent with rare-element enrichment and supporting the interpretation of a well-fractionated pegmatite system at Whistlejacket.
Importantly, the addition of these samples has highlighted three prospective target areas east and southeast of the previously explored area, thus broadening the pipeline of targets available for current and future drilling (Figure 2). Targets A and B comprise steeply dipping to near-vertical pegmatites having widths from 1 to 6m. The new surface geochemistry and visible spodumene in the pegmatites will support Target A where the company has permitted drill sites and associated access roads, while Target C is characterized by a sub-horizontal pegmatite in an area under further review for future permitting. Collectively, these areas expand the Company's inventory of prospective targets and provide additional opportunities for follow-up exploration and potential inclusion in future drilling programmes.
QA/QC
Rock-chip samples were collected under the supervision of Hugo Zuniga, Senior Project Manager. Sample locations were recorded in the field, and samples were bagged, secured and transported to the Company's core facility before delivery by Company personnel to the SGS preparation facility in Tempe, Arizona. Following sample preparation, pulps were shipped to SGS Laboratories in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, for analysis using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES and ICP-MS finish (method GE_ICM90A50). Certified reference materials were inserted into the sample stream as part of the Company's QA/QC procedures and reviewed by Hugo Zuniga. The Company Qualified Person (QP), Mr Joey Wilkins, consents to the inclusion of the technical information in this release and the context in which it appears.
Figure 1. Location of the third and final phase of Bradda Head surface sampling (white), together with historical BHL and KEX sampling (cyan) and priority target areas at Whistlejacket.
Figure 2. Targets A and B comprise steeply dipping to near-vertical pegmatites, while Target C comprises a sub-horizontal pegmatite.
Table 1. Selected assay results from the third and final phase of surface sampling, showing samples returning >0.50% Li₂O. Li₂O values have been rounded to two decimal places.
Qualified Person (Bradda Head)
For further information please visit the Company's website: www.braddaheadltd.com.
| +44 1624 639 396 | +44 20 7628 3396 | +44 207 186 9927 | + 44 20 7920 3150 braddahead@tavistock.co.uk |
About Bradda Head Lithium Ltd.
The San Domingo Project comprises 248 claims covering approximately 1,850 acres, located primarily on Bureau of Land Management land, together with two Arizona State Land Department claims. To date, 108 drill holes totalling 13,089 m have been completed across three drilling campaigns. More than 1,000 pegmatites have been mapped across the project area; 18 have been identified as priority targets and six have been drill-tested. Two Notices of Intent are active, and updated drilling plans may be implemented once the required permits have been secured. The next exploration phase is intended to further delineate prospective areas and assess their potential to support a Mineral Resource Estimate prepared in accordance with NI 43-101.
The Whistlejacket Project comprises nine Arizona State Land Department Mineral Exploration Permits covering 2,010.7 hectares. The project is subject to a definitive option-to-joint-venture agreement with Kennecott Exploration Company and targets spodumene-bearing pegmatites.
Kennecott's previous exploration included 19 diamond drill holes totalling 4,188 m, all of which intersected lithium mineralisation. Reported results include 51.0 m at 1.11% Li₂O in hole WSTL0009 and 19.47 m at 1.66% Li₂O in hole WSTL0008. Surface mapping, sampling, airborne geophysics and high-resolution aerial imagery have also contributed to the geological dataset for the project.
Nominated Adviser Statement
Technical Glossary
| Term | Definition |
| AIM | AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange. |
| ASLD | Arizona State Land Department. |
| BHL / Bradda | Bradda Head Lithium Ltd. |
| CRM | Certified Reference Material; a material with certified concentrations used as part of analytical quality-control procedures. |
| Cs | Cesium. |
| Fe | Iron. |
| ICP-AES | Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry, an analytical technique used to determine elemental concentrations. |
| ICP-MS | Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, a high-sensitivity analytical technique used to determine elemental concentrations. |
| KEX | Kennecott Exploration Company, party to the Option to Joint Venture agreement covering Whistlejacket. |
| LCE | Lithium Carbonate Equivalent. |
| LCT | Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum; a class of rare-element pegmatites commonly associated with lithium mineralisation. |
| Li | Lithium. |
| Li₂O | Lithium oxide; the conventional unit used to report lithium grades in hard-rock lithium deposits. |
| MRE | Mineral Resource Estimate. |
| Mt | Million tonnes. |
| Nb | Niobium. |
| NI 43-101 | National Instrument 43-101, the Canadian standard governing disclosure of scientific and technical information relating to mineral projects. |
| ppm | Parts per million; a unit used to report elemental concentrations. |
| QA/QC | Quality Assurance/Quality Control; procedures used to monitor and verify the reliability of sampling and analytical results. |
| QP | Qualified Person; a suitably qualified professional responsible for reviewing and approving technical disclosure. |
| SGS | SGS Canada Inc., the laboratory used for sample preparation and analysis. |
| Spodumene | A lithium-bearing silicate mineral and an important source of lithium in hard-rock deposits. |
| Ta | Tantalum. |
| WJ / Whistlejacket | The Whistlejacket Lithium Project in Arizona. |
Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.