Bradda Head Lithium (AIM:BHL), the North America-focused lithium development company, has secured an Arizona-licensed drilling contractor for its 2026 infill exploration programme at the Whistlejacket project in Arizona.
The rig is expected to mobilize by the end of July and start drilling immediately, with earthwork contractors already engaged to upgrade access roads and build drill pads starting next week.
Bradda Head plans up to 20 diamond drill holes totaling approximately 3,657.6 metres, designed to infill and expand mineralization identified by Kennecott Exploration Co in its 2023 programme.
Those earlier holes, WSTL-008, -009 and 006, returned grades of 0.97% Li2O over 10.74 metres, 1.31% Li2O over 13.56 metres and 0.79% Li2O over 9.75 metres.
Several shallow core holes will also test pegmatites BHL sampled at up to 3.03% Li2O, reported in June.
All authorized expenditure under the programme counts toward Bradda Head's option agreement with Kennecott, and the company has secured all necessary drilling permits from the Arizona State Land Department.
The Phase 3 programme is designed to support Whistlejacket's initial NI 43-101 technical report and, subject to further exploration success, a maiden mineral resource estimate by the end of 2027.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Bradda Head has secured a drilling contractor and mobilized site infrastructure for a 2026 infill campaign at Whistlejacket, targeting a maiden resource estimate by end-2027. The move advances a phased exploration programme under its Kennecott joint venture; loan conversions that eliminated US$1.87 million of indebtedness in July 2026 funded this phase. The announcement confirms execution of a previously disclosed plan rather than a material change in scope or timeline.
Bradda Head is moving from permitting and planning into active drilling at its flagship hard-rock project. Success in infilling and expanding the mineralized zones identified by Kennecott in 2023 is now a near-term operational test; the 2027 resource estimate target will be the first quantified mineral inventory for Whistlejacket and a critical gate for any future development decision.
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