Brightstar Resources Ltd is gearing up to develop the underground portals for the Fish Gold Project in April, and to produce first ore from the underground mine in June, after receiving the final regulatory approvals from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS).
The project sits within the Laverton Hub, within the namesake Laverton region of Western Australia.
The company says construction of the mine camp is well advanced, with an initial 48-room and ancillary camp buildings now on-site and being installed.
The installation of workshops, offices, a communications tower and power station are also on schedule, and the earthworks and Fish pit access ramp remediation work is complete.
Rapid ramp-up toward production
"Receiving final MP/MCP permitting approvals for the Fish Underground is a pivotal moment for Brightstar,” Brightstar Resources managing director Alex Rovira said.
“With these permits now in place, we are now fully focused on executing our development plan to bring our second underground mine rapidly and safely into production.
“The team has made excellent progress with site establishment, camp construction and infrastructure readiness, and we remain on track to deliver first ore from the Fish underground to Genesis’ Laverton Mill in the June quarter 2025, reaffirming our ambition to establish Brightstar as an emerging multi-mine Western Australian gold producer.
“Excitingly, upcoming exploration activities at Fish will target extensions to the current Mineral Resource envelope to support potential mine life extension through targeted reverse circulation/diamond drilling at depth.
“The deepest drill intersection at Fish indicates that the high-grade mineralisation is still open at depth and represents upside to the current mine plan."
BTR has begun ore haulage from existing Lord Byron stockpiles to compliment the high-grade material being hauled from the company’s Second Fortune Mine.
Brightstar says the mine’s construction is within budget and on schedule, with the Fish mine set to diversify BTR’s high-grade production with two underground operations delivering ore into the purchase agreement with Genesis Minerals Limited.
The agreement allows BTR to sell up to 500,000 tonnes of ore over 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.