Brightstar Resources Ltd (ASX:BTR) has returned numerous high-grade gold hits from its reverse circulation (RC) drill program at Cork Tree Well (CTW) within the prolific Laverton Gold Belt of Western Australia.
Standout results from the nine-hole drill program across 2,000 metres include:
- 1 metre at 109.6 g/t gold from 167 metres and 3 metres at 8.7 g/t from 197 metres;
- 18 metres at 2.75 g/t from 83 metres;
- 9 metres at 3.05 g/t from 203 metres; and
- 13 metres at 1.24 g/t from 156 metres
With no historical mining, Delta is the northern-most section of the CTW system defined to date and is open for a further three-kilometre along strike to the north
Moving forward, Brightstar is kicking off a 4,500-metre aircore drilling campaign at CTW in September, targeting extensions to the north with three kilometres of untested and highly prospective strike.
Multiple structures hosting gold mineralisation
Brightstar managing director Alex Rovira said: “We are pleased to receive the final assays from the Laverton Gold Project RC program, after successful completion of the recent drilling at Menzies.
“The Cork Tree Well program had two defined objectives – the first being infill drilling at the Delta zone within the CTW mineral resource to provide a better understanding on the structures controlling the higher-grade mineralisation, and the second to test the higher-grade plunging shoot within the CTW main system as a follow up to drilling earlier in the year, which indicated mineralisation that has the potential for possible extraction using underground mining methods.
“At Delta, the three-hole program saw the holes drilled on different orientations to the historic drilling that has previously tested the broadly north-south striking system at CTW.”
CTW mineral resource and simplified geological map
Drill program
The drilling program at CTW was focused on two defined areas - the Delta Prospect to the north and a high-grade plunging shoot within the main CTW ore body.
Gold mineralisation in the CTW historically mined pits and main MRE zone is associated with steep east dipping sedimentary units, in particular, the chert horizon on the footwall of the sediment sequence.
The mine area consists of footwall, high magnesium basalts altered to chlorite schist overlain by shales containing chert and banded iron beds and younger hangingwall basalts.
Forward plan
These results are being utilised in the planning stages of the next drilling program at CTW, where the mineralisation remains open in several vectors (dip, plunge, strike) which requires further drill testing to define the limits of the mineralisation and to continue to grow the mineral resource estimate (MRE).
Diamond drilling is also being planned to provide improved structural information that will allow for more informed targeting and a new geotechnical model for mine planning purposes.
Brightstar has booked a 4,500-metre aircore drilling program at CTW North, to begin in early September.
This program is designed to generate anomalies for further aircore infill (if required) or direct RC drill testing in Q4 2023.
Furthermore, the scoping study for the Menzies and Laverton gold projects is nearing completion.
Rovira adds: "Encouragingly, the results indicate that the structures containing the mineralisation are different to the main CTW zone and see both a lithological and orientation change, which may be due to the confluence of multiple structures hosting the gold mineralisation.
“This requires further follow-up and significantly increases the potential for definition of further mineralisation at Delta and to the north, which is open for a further 3 kilometres.
“Brightstar has booked aircore drilling contractors to mobilise in early September for a ~4,500-metre campaign, which is intended to define targets for follow-up RC drilling.
“With the scoping study nearing finalisation, planning for further RC and diamond drilling at Menzies and Laverton is underway to commence later in the year in order to continue to grow the mineral resource base, upgrading resources within early-stage mining areas, and advance the projects towards near term production opportunities.”
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