Brightstar’s Jasper Hills Drilling Highlights Underground Mining Potential
Brightstar Resources has reported compelling high-grade gold intercepts from its 2024 diamond drilling at the Lord Byron deposit, reinforcing the potential for expanded mining operations at Jasper Hills.
- Final assays confirm multiple broad high-grade gold intercepts at Lord Byron
- Drilling targeted areas around A$3,000/oz optimised pit shells from 2024 Scoping Study
- Results reveal south-plunging high-grade shoots with potential for underground mining
- Further drilling planned in first half of 2025 to test depth extensions below pit base
- Ongoing 2025 drilling campaign progressing at Sandstone with RC rig mobilised
Context and Significance of the Drilling Program
Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) has released the final assay results from its 2024 diamond drilling program at the Lord Byron deposit, part of the Jasper Hills Gold Project within its Laverton Hub. The 13-hole program, totaling approximately 1,700 meters of core drilling, was designed to infill deeper zones of mineralisation around conceptual open pit shells optimised at A$3,000 per ounce of gold, as established in the company’s March 2024 Scoping Study.
The drilling aimed to increase geological confidence and provide critical metallurgical and geotechnical data to support ongoing development studies. The results have delineated consistent, high-grade, south-plunging shoots within the main mineralised zone, highlighting excellent targets for potential pit expansions and underground mining scenarios.
Key Assay Highlights and Geological Insights
Among the standout intercepts were:
- 20.39 meters at 3.03 g/t Au from 196.53 meters, including higher-grade zones up to 9.23 g/t Au;
- 22.86 meters at 1.68 g/t Au from 178.24 meters, featuring a 0.30-meter interval at 17.3 g/t Au;
- 23.11 meters at 1.56 g/t Au from 202.12 meters;
- Additional intercepts ranging from 7.80 to 16.79 meters with grades between 2.13 and 4.07 g/t Au.
These results confirm the presence of robust mineralisation hosted within a 100-meter-wide Bicentennial Shear Zone, characterized by amphibolite and banded iron formations. The high-grade shoots exhibit strike lengths from 50 to over 200 meters and extend beyond the depth of the current optimised pit shells, suggesting significant upside potential.
Implications for Mining and Resource Growth
Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, emphasized the importance of these findings, noting that the drilling program represents a major step forward in demonstrating Lord Byron’s potential for both bulk-tonnage open pit and higher-grade underground mining. The delineation of plunging high-grade shoots is particularly encouraging, as it opens avenues for resource growth at depth and potential open pit cut-backs.
With further drilling planned for the first half of 2025 targeting these deeper zones, the company is positioning itself to update its Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and advance feasibility studies. This aligns with Brightstar’s broader strategy to maximise shareholder value by unlocking the full potential of its high-quality gold assets.
Broader Exploration and Development Activities
Beyond Lord Byron, Brightstar’s 2025 drilling campaign is progressing well across its Sandstone hub. The reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at Lord Nelson has been completed, with the rig now mobilized to the Vanguard camp. These activities complement the ongoing work at Jasper Hills and support the company’s vision of staged development across its portfolio, which includes a consolidated 3.0 million ounce gold resource at Sandstone.
The integration of metallurgical and geotechnical data from the diamond drilling will further refine mining and processing plans, underpinning the Definitive Feasibility Study and near-term development of mining operations at Jasper Hills.
Looking Ahead
Brightstar’s methodical approach to exploration and resource development at Lord Byron and its broader Laverton Hub underscores the company’s commitment to advancing its projects towards production. The upcoming drilling results and resource updates will be critical milestones to watch as they will shape the scale and scope of future mining operations.
Bottom Line?
Brightstar’s latest drilling success at Jasper Hills sets the stage for resource growth and deeper mining opportunities, with market eyes on upcoming assay results and feasibility progress.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the upcoming drilling at depth impact the overall Mineral Resource Estimate at Lord Byron?
- What are the timelines and capital requirements for advancing from scoping to definitive feasibility and production?
- How might the integration of metallurgical and geotechnical data influence mining method selection and project economics?