Bradda Head Lithium - Secures Key Drilling Permit for Whistlejacket

Bradda Head Lithium

26/05/2026 08:51

RNS Number : 6941F

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd

26 May 2026

 

26 May 2026

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd

("Bradda", "BHL" or the "Company")

Bradda Head Lithium Secures Key Drilling Permit for Whistlejacket Lithium Project Ahead of 2026 Arizona Exploration Campaign

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd (AIM: BHLL), the North America-focused lithium development group, is pleased to announce that the Arizona State Land Department ("ASLD") has approved its Geologic Field Operations Plan ("GFOP") for the Company's joint venture with Kennecott Exploration Inc ("KEX") known as the Whistlejacket lithium project ("Whistlejacket" or the "Project") in Arizona.

Highlights:

·  Arizona State Land Department has approved Whistlejacket exploration and drilling Geological Field Operations Plan ("GFOP").

·    The permit allows for 24 drill pads and rock sampling at Whistlejacket.

·   Planned drilling programs at Whistlejacket and San Domingo are designed to support initial NI 43-101 technical reports and future maiden MREs.

·    The San Domingo drilling permit is already in place. 

·   Initial focus will be  drilling at Whistlejacket to assist in meeting earn-in commitments. Depending on results, this will be followed up with further drilling there and at San Domingo.

·   Exploration programs are designed to minimize surface disturbance and prioritize water conservation during drilling operations.

·   The contractor selection process for the 2026 drilling campaign is entering final stages despite tight industry-wide rig availability.

 

Ian Stalker, Executive Chair, commented:

"This is an important development for Bradda Head Lithium Ltd that supports the rapid advancement of its Arizona lithium exploration portfolio. This is a key priority for Bradda.

The speed of this approval highlights the increasing efficiency of the regulatory process and growing national focus on securing domestic sources of critical minerals, and is a positive indication of future benefits to be derived from operating in the jurisdiction.

Combined with the progress made by Bradda in the contractor selection process, the Company is on track to advance its exploration program across its spodumene-focused Arizona projects during 2026, with programs designed to support initial NI 43-101 technical reports and maiden Mineral Resource Estimates.

In parallel, Bradda Head continues to strengthen local stakeholder engagement, expand operational staffing, and advance ESG-focused initiatives as it builds a strategically important U.S. lithium portfolio aligned with the growing domestic critical minerals and battery supply chain sectors."

 

The permit approval authorizes rock sampling activities and up to 24 drill pads at the Whistlejacket project and was secured within an accelerated timeframe, supporting the Company's planned 2026 exploration schedule and future development activities. The permit application was supported by previously completed Cultural and Native Plant Inventory surveys provided by KEX.

This approval marks a significant milestone for Bradda Head and complements the drilling permits already secured from the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") for the Company's San Domingo project (see announcement dated 8 April 2025). With permitting now in place across both projects, Bradda Head is well positioned to advance exploration and resource development activities throughout its Arizona pegmatite portfolio during 2026.

The upcoming drilling campaigns at both Whistlejacket and San Domingo are designed to support the preparation of initial NI 43-101 technical reports and, subject to further exploration success and drilling, a delivery of maiden Mineral Resource Estimates ("MREs") for the projects at the end of 2027.

The Company will initially focus on drilling at Whistlejacket to assist in meeting earn-in commitments with longer term plan for further drilling there and at San Domingo. The planned exploration program is expected to comprise approximately 14,000 ft of drilling in total across the two projects, including 24 drill holes for approximately 11,500 ft at Whistlejacket and, in due course, approximately 20 drill holes for 2,500 ft across selected San Domingo targets. In parallel with the permitting process, Bradda Head has proactively engaged with the local community, including coordination with local ranchers to secure water access for drilling operations.

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd has continued advancing the contractor selection process for the 2026 drilling campaign at the Whistlejacket and San Domingo projects, with the evaluation process now entering its final stages. Several major drilling contractors have visited, or are scheduled to visit, the Whistlejacket and San Domingo projects as part of ongoing technical and logistical assessments. Despite continued industry-wide rig demand and limited contractor availability across the western United States, the Company expects to finalize contractor selection in the near term, positioning the projects for drilling commencement once scheduling and final operational logistics are confirmed. Additionally, Bradda Head expects to increase staffing levels to support the growing operational and technical demands associated with advancing the Whistlejacket and San Domingo lithium spodumene projects in Arizona.

Bradda Head will continue to provide regular updates on exploration progress at Whistlejacket and San Domingo as the Company advances its strategy of developing a significant U.S.-focused lithium portfolio to support the domestic battery supply chain.

 

Qualified Person (Bradda Head)

Joey Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., is an external consultant and the Qualified Person who reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release. Mr Wilkins is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.Sc. in Geology with more than 40 years of experience in mineral exploration and is a qualified person under the AIM Rules and a Qualified Person as defined under NI-43-101. Mr Wilkins consents to the inclusion of the technical information in this release and context in which it appears.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (EU No. 596/2014) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW BY VIRTUE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018. UPON THE PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE, THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND SUCH PERSONS SHALL THEREFORE CEASE TO BE IN POSSESSION OF INSIDE INFORMATION.

 

For further information please visit the Company's website: www.braddaheadltd.com.

 

ENDS

 Contact:

 

Bradda Head Lithium Limited
Beaumont Cornish
Shard Capital
Tavistock
Company
Nomad
Broker
Investor Relations
Ian Stalker, Executive Chair
Denham Eke, Finance Director
James Biddle /
Roland Cornish
Damon Heath / Isabella Pierre
Nick Elwes /
Josephine Clerkin
+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.

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd. is a North America-focused lithium development group. The Company currently has interests in a variety of projects, the most advanced of which are in Central and Western Arizona: The Basin Project (Basin East Project and Basin West Project) and the San Domingo Project.

The Basin East Project has a Measured Mineral Resource of 20 Mt at an average grade of 929 ppm Li for a total of 99 kt LCE and an Indicated Mineral Resource of 122 Mt at an average grade of 860 ppm Li and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 499 Mt at an average grade of 810 ppm Li for a total of 2.81 Mt LCE (https://www.accesswire.com/883697/bradda-head-lithium-ltd-announces-updated-mineral-resource-expansion-basin-project). A plan of operation was approved by BLM in 2025 for the Basin West area. Now company is working on an Environmental Assessment (EA) permit.

The San Domingo Project comprises 248 claims covering approximately 1850 acres, located primarily on BLM land, along with two Arizona State Land Department claims. To date, 108 drill holes totaling 13,089 m of core drilling have been completed across three drilling campaigns. The project area hosts more than 1,000 mapped pegmatites, of which 18 have been identified as priority targets, with six tested by drilling. The area currently holds two active Notices of Intent (NOI) permits, and updated drilling plans are in place that can be implemented once all required permits for the pegmatite targets are secured. The objective of the next exploration phase is to further delineate the most prospective areas and advance them toward potential Mineral Resource Estimation (MRE) and NI 43-101 compliant reporting.

The Whistlejacket Project comprises nine Arizona State Land Department Mineral Exploration Permits (MEPs), covering a total of 4,486.07 hectares. The project is subject to a definitive Option to Joint Venture agreement with Kennecott Exploration Company (KEX) and targets spodumene-bearing pegmatites. KEX previous Exploration include 19 drilled diamond drill holes totaling 4,188 meters, with all holes intersecting lithium mineralization. Notable results include 51.0 meters at 1.11% Li₂O in hole WSTL0009 and 19.47 meters at 1.66% Li₂O in hole WSTL0008. In addition, the project has benefited from extensive surface mapping, sampling, airborne geophysics, and the acquisition of high-resolution aerial imagery, significantly enhancing the geological understanding and overall value of the asset.

The Group intends to continue to develop its three phase one projects in Arizona, whilst endeavoring to unlock value at its other prospective pegmatite and brine assets in Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

Nominated Adviser Statement

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish"), is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the transaction and arrangements described in the announcement or any matter referred to in it.

 

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