Brightstar Resources Ltd (ASX:BTR) has reported strong assay results from reverse circulation (RC) drilling at the Bull Oak and Havilah deposits within its Sandstone Hub, where the company now holds a 2.4Moz at 1.5g/t gold Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) following the acquisition of Aurumin Ltd.
Sandstone Hub Map showing the location of the Havilah and Bull Oak deposits.
The latest drilling was designed to test below existing resources and target potential extensions to the known ore bodies. Six rigs are currently active across Brightstar’s portfolio, including two RC and two diamond rigs at Sandstone, supporting growth drilling, infill programs to upgrade resource confidence, and geotechnical and metallurgical sampling for the ongoing Pre-Feasibility Study.
"These results from our Sandstone Hub continue illustrate the significant potential growth to our existing MRE. All of these drillholes, at both Havilah and Bull Oak, targeted zones outside of the existing resource and confirmed significant mineralisation in these areas," Brightstar’s managing director, Alex Rovira, said.
"The broad mineralised intercepts at the Bull Oak deposit, hosted by multiple high-grade quartz veins within a broader lower-grade mineralised granodiorite, is extremely prospective for material MRE growth at that deposit. The Bull Oak granodiorite intrusion has an interpreted strike length of approximately 500m and a width of up to 150m and has not been defined at depth, representing a possible high tonnage deposit similar to the Two Mile Hill-Shillington complex, acquired from Aurumin, located 7km to the SE that hosts a Mineral Resource of 0.7Moz @ 1.5g/t Au. Importantly, there are other felsic intrusives in the Bull Oak camp that are not effectively tested with drilling to date.
"With four rigs currently drilling at the Sandstone Hub, our geological understanding is rapidly growing which will lead into increased resource confidence and the development of new exploration targets. Concurrently, PFS workstreams are now well underway as we look to fast-track development studies at the project and deliver a robust PFS in 2026.”
Bull Oak delivers high-grade intercepts
Standout intersections from Bull Oak include:
BORC25006
- 3m at 31.40g/t Au from 130m
- 6m at 3.86g/t Au from 117m
- 14m at 1.10g/t Au from 40m
All contained within a broader 157m at 1.13g/t Au from 18m (unconstrained)
BORC25013
- 10m at 5.83g/t Au from 11m, including 1m at 16.7g/t Au from 15m
Within a broader 73m at 1.14g/t Au from 11m (unconstrained)
- BORC25010
- 2m at 5.44g/t Au from 8m
- 2m at 7.80g/t Au from 16m
- 9m at 4.44g/t Au from 162m
- 12m at 2.01g/t Au from 231m
Partly contained within a 45m at 1.00g/t Au from 8m (unconstrained)
These results continue to demonstrate the presence of thick mineralised zones beneath and adjacent to the current resource envelope.
High-grade gold confirmed at Havilah
At Havilah, drilling also returned promising results, including:
HVRC25015
- 5m at 12.8g/t Au from 142m
- Including 1m at 55.2g/t Au from 142m
The intercept suggests potential for deeper high-grade structures that remain open and are now priority targets for follow-up drilling.
Ongoing work to support resource growth and PFS
Brightstar’s multi-rig drilling effort reflects its strategy to grow the Sandstone Hub resource base while progressing its Pre-Feasibility Study. Current work programs aim to:
- Extend mineralisation at Bull Oak and Havilah
- Improve classification confidence through infill drilling
- Provide geotechnical and metallurgical data for mine design
- Support future development planning across the 2.4Moz Sandstone Hub