Bradda Head Lithium (AIM:BHL), the North America-focused lithium developer, has reported additional high-grade surface assay results from its Whistlejacket Lithium Project in Arizona, held under an option-to-joint-venture agreement with Kennecott Exploration Company.
The results mark the third and final phase of the 2026 rock-chip sampling programme, with exploration now shifting to Phase 3 drilling, the first campaign run under Bradda Head itself following two earlier phases led by Kennecott.
Of 41 rock samples analysed, 19 returned grades above 0.50% Li2O, including 13 above 1.50% Li2O, with the highest assay reaching 3.90% Li2O from a near-horizontal pegmatite estimated at four metres thick.
All 41 samples returned iron content below 1.0%, alongside elevated tantalum, niobium, cesium and rubidium, supporting the company's interpretation of a well-fractionated, rare-element-enriched pegmatite system.
The programme has also identified three new prospective target areas east and southeast of previously explored ground, expanding the pipeline for current and future drilling; permitted drill sites and access roads are already in place at one of them, Target A.
"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," said Ian Stalker, Executive Chair.
With the surface sampling concluded, the company's focus now moves to drilling out the continuity, geometry and scale of the spodumene-bearing pegmatites at depth, including targets not previously tested.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Bradda Head's final surface sampling at Whistlejacket has confirmed high-grade lithium pegmatite targets - 19 of 41 samples above 0.50% Li2O, with a peak of 3.90% - and identified three new prospective areas, positioning the company to begin its first independent drilling campaign. This marks a transition from Kennecott-led exploration to Bradda Head's own Phase 3 drilling, with permitted drill sites already in place, reducing execution risk on the next stage of resource definition.
The results validate the pegmatite system's quality and expand the exploration footprint, but the investment case now hinges on whether drilling confirms continuity and scale at depth. Surface grades alone do not establish a mineable resource; the Phase 3 drilling programme will determine whether these high-grade intercepts translate into economic tonnage.
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