Early-Stage Drilling Success Raises Stakes for Brightstar’s Sandstone Development

Exploration Breakthrough at Sandstone

Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX, BTR) has unveiled encouraging results from its recent aircore drilling campaign at the Sandstone Hub in Western Australia. The program, which covered 22,000 metres across multiple early-stage targets, has delivered significant gold intercepts that reinforce the prospectivity of this 2.4 million ounce gold resource area.

The drilling focused on prospects such as Indomitable North and Bollinger, both situated near existing mineral resources. Indomitable North, located approximately 500 metres from the 0.3 million ounce Indomitable Mineral Resource, returned standout results including a 24-metre intercept grading 3.97 grams per tonne gold, with an 8-metre section hitting 10.4 grams per tonne. Meanwhile, Bollinger, about 1.5 kilometres from the same resource, yielded intercepts like 12 metres at 2.08 grams per tonne, including a high-grade 4-metre segment at 5.6 grams per tonne.

Strategic Implications and Next Steps

These results are particularly significant as they come from Brightstar’s first aircore program targeting early-stage prospects at Sandstone. The company’s General Manager of Geology, Jonathan Gough, emphasised the strong exploration potential these findings reveal. The intersections of thick quartz reefs and associated pathfinder elements such as arsenic, silver, and tellurium suggest the presence of robust orogenic gold systems.

Brightstar plans to prioritise Indomitable North and Bollinger for follow-up drilling in 2026, deploying reverse circulation (RC) and diamond rigs to better define the mineralisation and advance feasibility studies. This approach aligns with the company’s broader strategy to integrate greenfields exploration with brownfields resource definition and technical studies, thereby accelerating Sandstone’s development pathway.

Broader Exploration Context

Beyond the two main prospects, the aircore program also tested six other regional targets, including Musketeer North, Bull Oak South, and Bulchina North. While some of these yielded modest results or await assay completion, the overall campaign has expanded the understanding of the Sandstone Greenstone Belt’s geology and mineralisation controls.

Brightstar’s exploration methodology involved rigorous sampling and assay protocols, with quality control measures ensuring reliable data. The company’s exploration manager, Michael Kammermann, confirmed that the results are consistent with previous resource estimates and support ongoing resource upgrades.

With a portfolio spanning multiple gold hubs in Western Australia, including Laverton and Menzies, Brightstar is positioning itself as a mid-tier gold producer. The Sandstone Hub’s evolving resource base and exploration success are key pillars in this growth strategy.