New drilling results show Brightstar Resources’ flagship Cork Tree Well deposit is getting thicker and richer with depth.

New RC assays show there’s far more lurking beneath the surface at Brightstar’s (ASX:BTR) Cork Tree Well, which boasts a JORC-compliant resource of 3,86Mt at 1.9g/t for 237,000oz and historically produced 46,000oz of gold.

Results for 22 holes included strikes of 26m at 2.97g/t from 111m in BTRRC025 and 17m at 3.09g/t from 139m in BTRRC026.

Better as we go

Those intersections confirmed the grade and location of the gold is still there beneath the resource, but the width of the mineralisation appears to be getting better with depth.

Outside of the current resource envelope, Brightstar’s drill rigs have hit lode extensions down dip across the strike length of Cork Tree Well which remain open at depth, meaning further drilling will be needed to find the bottom.

That’s a pleasing situation for Brightstar, which still has 20 assays to come from the 89 hole program.

“The opportunity for Brightstar at the Cork Tree Well project continues to grow with more intersections returned down-dip and outside of the current JORC Resource envelope,” Brightstar managing director Bill Hobba said.

“With an additional 22 holes returned in this latest batch of analyses, we have now received 69 holes of the 89 holes completed at Cork Tree Well.

“We are keen to share the results of the final 20 holes when received, and QAQC and analytical review is completed.”

Also starring…

While the thick deep hits are the headline acts, there were plenty of high tenor strikes closer to the surface, standouts include:

  • 3m at 5.15g/t from 61m and 5m at 5.01g/t from 70m in BTRRC074
  • 12m at 1.69g/t from 133m in BTRRC021
  • 7m at 1.4g/t from 56m in BTRRC033
  • 7m at 2.21g/t from 111m in BTRRC034
  • 8m at 2.65g/t from 40m in BTRRC041

These results all but confirm the location of the lodes in the resource model, with the average grade of the intersections appearing to be higher than holes in the modelled resource.

Some of the best hits were contained in the northern tip of the southern pit, adjacent to the saddle between the two historic pits.

Brightstar expects a more robust resource and, down the line, JORC reserve to come out of the program, the first at the Laverton district gold deposit since 2012.

Brightstar Resources
20 assays are still to come. Pic: Brightstar Resources

Next steps

Assay results are still to come from 20 holes before re-interpretation and modelling of the Cork Tree Well resource, around 60km north of the Brightstar processing plant, can be done.

So far, 53 of the 69 holes tested have contained significant results, so there will be plenty of eyes on the coming assays.

More drilling is likely in 2022, to test extensions down dip and along strike to the north.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Brightstar Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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