An upcoming maiden resource for Brightstar’s Aspacia prospect is on the cards. Pic via Getty Images.
Mining
Special Report: The full set of results from a 28-hole, 6,000m RC drill program at Brightstar Resources’ Link Zone and Aspacia deposit, part of the company’s Menzies project, include high-grade hits of up to 18.88g/t gold and confirm more than 600m of strike extent at the tenure.
These numbers are typical of historical goldfield production of 787,200oz @ 18.9g/t, with more than 80% of the holes drilled at Aspacia intersecting +2g/t of gold mineralisation – commonly the underground resource cut-off grade for many operations in the WA Goldfields.
The results are timely for Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) with the maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Aspacia due for release later this quarter.
BTR says Aspacia and the adjacent First Hit deposits are shaping up as a second high-grade underground mine operation to complement the proposed Yunndaga underground mine development.
The prospect is just 800m south of Selkirk, where the company is currently mining in a JV with BML Ventures and within 500m of the First Hit mine – where 170,000oz was mined underground @ 32g/t.
Best intercepts from the assays include:
“The RC drilling results returned at Aspacia continue to show strong continuity along strike and at depth, with multiple lodes of high-grade, narrow vein gold mineralisation delineated over a significant strike length of >600m,” BTR managing director Alex Rovira says.
“This drilling program was designed to test along strike and down dip from known previous drilling intercepts and historical mining records, in preparation for delineation of a maiden mineral resource estimate targeted for release later this quarter.
“This mineralisation style is common for the Menzies Goldfield and the Aspacia deposit, where the underground workings were historically mined at >30g/t Au.
“It is encouraging to see the consistency of the gold-bearing structures and intercepts across a strike length of 600m and up to 180m down dip and still open across the deposit.”
Rovira says the lode widths and grades observed are comparable to current underground mines in WA, including the East Kundana JV between Evolution Mining (ASX:EVN) and Silver Lake Resources’ (ASX:SLR) Rothsay gold mine.
Along with the adjacent First Hit mine, which produced some 195,000oz from a shallow open pit and narrow vein underground mine, he notes the broader Aspacia area presents as an exciting potential high-grade underground mine complex.
“These compelling targets will be considered in line with the proposed mining operations outlined in the 2023 scoping study which outlined a pathway to delivering 153,000oz of recoverable gold with a low capex, toll-treat processing solution for the broader Menzies gold project,” Rovira says.
“We are also encouraged by Link Zone also delivering economic (+0.5g/t gold) hits in 12 of 15 holes drilled in late 2023 complementing the existing results announced on 22 January 2024.”
Elsewhere, as part of BTR’s mine development strategy, haulage has begun from the Selkirk mine JV with BML Ventures, with >8,000t of high-grade ore at the Gwalia ROM pad for processing by Genesis Minerals (ASX: GMD).
BTR in early-stage discussions with potential mining partners to assess the potential for a second small mining campaign at the Link Zone, with a similar scope to that of the current Selkirk mining JV.
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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