Early-Stage Drilling Success at Sandstone Hub Raises Stakes for Brightstar Resources

Exploration Momentum at Sandstone Hub

Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX – BTR) has delivered a fresh wave of optimism for investors and the gold exploration community with its latest assay results from the Sandstone Hub in Western Australia’s East Murchison region. The company’s ongoing reverse circulation (RC) drilling program, which has now surpassed 80,000 metres, continues to reveal high-grade gold mineralisation across multiple prospects, underscoring the district’s rich potential.

The Sandstone Hub currently hosts a 1.5 million ounce gold resource at an average grade of 1.5 grams per tonne, but the recent results suggest this figure could be poised for expansion. Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, emphasised the significance of these findings, noting that the company is “only scratching the surface” of what the Sandstone Hub has to offer.

Standout Prospects – Hacks West, Havilah, and Bulchina

Among the highlights, the Hacks West prospect, situated just 2 kilometres west of the historic Hacks Mine, returned exceptional grades including a 1-metre intercept at 38.3 grams per tonne from 46 metres depth. This early-stage exploration target, tested beneath shallow historical workings, shows promise for further high-grade extensions.

The Havilah deposit, the most advanced of the three prospects, yielded impressive results such as 4 metres at 17.4 grams per tonne including a standout 1 metre at 61.2 grams per tonne from 111 metres. These intercepts lie outside the current Mineral Resource Estimate and will be incorporated into the next resource update, with follow-up drilling planned to delineate the high-grade shoots more precisely.

At Bulchina, located approximately 10 kilometres southwest of Sandstone town, first-pass drilling confirmed significant gold mineralisation along strike from the historic Bulchina Mine, which produced 230,000 ounces at 3.62 grams per tonne. Notable intercepts include 11 metres at 2.26 grams per tonne and 8 metres at 2.52 grams per tonne, reinforcing the prospect’s potential to evolve into a substantial asset.

Strategic Drilling and Future Outlook

Brightstar’s exploration strategy involves a blend of infill and extensional drilling to both upgrade existing resources and test high-priority early-stage targets. Currently, three surface rigs are active across the company’s Laverton, Menzies, and Sandstone hubs, with an underground diamond rig scheduled to commence operations at Laverton shortly.

The company is also advancing drilling at other key deposits such as the Musketeer and Lords Corridor prospects within the Sandstone Hub, aiming to expand the resource base further. These efforts align with Brightstar’s ambition to become a leading mid-tier gold producer, leveraging its portfolio of high-quality assets in Western Australia’s prolific gold belts.

Technical insights from exploration manager Michael Kammermann affirm the robustness of the sampling and assay protocols, ensuring confidence in the reported results. While true widths of mineralisation remain to be confirmed, the consistent high grades and continuity observed provide a compelling case for ongoing investment in the Sandstone Hub.