Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) has reported multiple high-grade gold intercepts from ongoing drilling at its Sandstone Gold Project, supporting a mid-year resource upgrade and Pre-Feasibility Study.
- High-grade gold intercepts up to 175g/t Au reported
- Drilling targets key Sandstone deposits for MRE and PFS
- Four rigs active with both RC and diamond drilling
- Bull Oak and Achilles deposits show significant growth potential
- Resource update due mid-2026; PFS targeted for 2H 2026
High-Grade Gold Zones Highlight Bull Oak Potential
Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX:BTR) has unveiled striking assay results from its ongoing reverse circulation (RC) and diamond drilling programs at the Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia. Among the standout intercepts are narrow but spectacular high-grade zones such as 0.3m at 175.3g/t Au and 7m at 17.7g/t Au at the Bull Oak deposit, which currently holds a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 90,000 ounces at 1.1g/t Au. These high-grade veins sit within broader mineralised envelopes, including an unconstrained 214.75m intersection at 0.97g/t Au, suggesting both depth and scale potential beneath the existing resource.
Drilling at Bull Oak is focused on infilling and extending mineralisation below 100m vertical depth, a sparsely tested zone that could materially increase the resource base. The company has completed a combination of diamond tails and RC drilling, with results reinforcing the geological model and providing critical structural and geotechnical data for the upcoming Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS). Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, highlighted Bull Oak as a key growth asset, noting the presence of multiple high-grade shoots that could underpin future mine development.
Expanding Resource Confidence Across Sandstone Deposits
Beyond Bull Oak, drilling results from other deposits within the Sandstone Hub, including Vanguard, Havilah, Achilles, Indomitable East, Lord Nelson, Montague-Boulder, and Musketeer, demonstrate encouraging grades and widths. For instance, Vanguard returned 10.3m at 6.8g/t Au, including 2m at 25.1g/t Au, while Indomitable East yielded 19.05m at 3.8g/t Au, including a 1.02m interval at 54.5g/t Au. The Achilles deposit continues to show promise with multiple intercepts above 4g/t Au, supporting the ongoing infill and extensional drilling program designed to upgrade resource classification from Inferred to Indicated.
The current drilling campaign, employing four rigs (two RC and two diamond), is systematically targeting key deposits to feed into a mid-year Mineral Resource update and the PFS scheduled for the second half of 2026. The diamond drilling is particularly valuable for metallurgical sampling and geotechnical analysis, essential components for advancing the project’s development case. These efforts align with Brightstar’s strategy to de-risk the Sandstone Project and unlock value through resource growth and improved geological understanding.
Strategic Positioning in Western Australia’s Tier-1 Jurisdiction
Sandstone’s 2.4 million ounce resource at 1.5g/t Au sits within a broader portfolio of over 4 million ounces across Brightstar’s Goldfields and Sandstone regions, positioning the company as an emerging mid-tier gold producer. The project benefits from proximity to infrastructure, granted mining leases, and a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Brightstar is advancing the Goldfields Hub towards production by mid-2027, backed by recent funding rounds totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, which also support the Sandstone growth pipeline. This drilling update follows the company’s successful $380M funding to advance Goldfields production and strong drilling results at Sandstone earlier this year, underscoring momentum across its asset base.
Brightstar’s methodical approach to drilling, combined with robust assay protocols and detailed geological logging, ensures data quality that supports confident resource modelling. The company’s exploration manager, Michael Kammermann, has overseen the programs adhering to JORC Code 2012 standards, with comprehensive QA/QC and sampling techniques designed to capture representative mineralisation. The ongoing programs will likely refine the geological framework and potentially reveal further extensions, particularly at Bull Oak and Achilles, which remain open at depth and along strike.
Bottom Line?
Brightstar’s latest drilling results reinforce Sandstone’s resource growth trajectory, but pending assays and true width confirmations mean investors should watch the mid-year resource update closely.
Questions in the middle?
- Will the upcoming Mineral Resource update reflect significant tonnage growth or primarily classification upgrades?
- How will the high-grade shoots at Bull Oak influence the project’s economic modelling in the PFS?
- What is the potential timeline for integrating these drilling results into a definitive development decision?