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Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) (Brightstar, or the Company) is pleased to provide an update regarding its ongoing assessment of the Brightstar Processing Facility (Brightstar Plant) located south- east of Laverton.
Following release of the Company’s recent Scoping Study (Menzies and Laverton Gold Project Mine Restart Study, ASX Announcement 06/09/2023), Brightstar is progressing with work streams under its Pre- Feasibility Study regarding the refurbishment and expansion of the Brightstar Plant to support further potential increased throughput and consequential increased annual production profile from its Laverton operations.
As part of these works, Brightstar commissioned an independent valuation of the mill and associated site infrastructure. The purpose of this report is to inform the appropriate level of insurance cover to protect these strategic assets while the Company continues its regional development and assessment of potential options to commence accelerated production operations.
This report has valued the Brightstar Plant and associated infrastructure at $60.9 million on an “as new” replacement value basis.
Brightstar Plant looking from the North-West
Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, commented:
“The Brightstar Processing Plant and related infrastructure represents a significant advantage from a time and cost perspective for Brightstar as we advance towards re-start of mining operations at the Menzies and Laverton Gold Projects. As outlined in the recently released Scoping Study, the ability to execute a low-cost refurbishment and expansion of the processing infrastructure is a key strategic advantage for the Company that differentiates Brightstar from other aspiring WA gold explorers and developers. We are actively assessing opportunities to further increase the throughput of the mill to 1Mtpa to support an increased production profile at our Laverton Gold Project.”
The $60 million value on an ‘as new’ basis for the existing processing and associated infrastructure represents a significant cost that we do not have to incur to build our mining operations, which in the context of continued challenging debt and equity capital markets is an important asset for our business. Many of the components of the plant are brand new and have never operated since being installed, including the gravity circuit and 450kW ball mill below."
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Brightstar Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Brightstar Resources
Overview
The price of gold is nearing a record high. Earlier this year, it topped $2,041.30 per ounce — the second-highest value in history. And there is every indication the previous metal's value will only continue to climb.
The reason is multifaceted. The world teeters on the brink of a severe recession. Amidst ballooning interest rates, bank failures and falling bond yields, demand for gold continues to rise.
This is to be expected, as bullion almost always becomes a hot commodity during times of economic uncertainty. At this precise moment, gold is simultaneously an excellent portfolio diversifier and a compelling hedge against ongoing inflation — particularly if one invests in the right company.
Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) aims to be that company. An emerging mining and development company, Brightstar occupies a strategic land position of roughly 300 square kilometers in the Laverton Tectonic Belt and 140 square kilometers of the Menzies Shear Zone.
The company also owns an existing processing facility that can potentially provide tremendous shareholder value in a low-capital cost restart scenario. In fact, Brightstar has engaged experts for a scoping study to assess the refurbishment of its wholly owned onsite processing plant.
That plant, once fully refurbished and operational, could prove a key differentiator for the company, enabling fast gold production at a low capital cost. This is especially noteworthy given that many other gold companies trading on the ASX are largely focused on greenfield exploration and development. Even once those companies discover a promising resource, mining and processing facilities would still need to be built, undertakings which can incur significant upfront capital costs and take a number of years.
Brightstar also recently finalized a merger agreement with Kingwest Resources (ASX:KWR), under which Brightstar acquired 100 percent of the shares in Kingwest. From a strategic standpoint, this merger has allowed the two companies to consolidate their assets, resulting in combined JORC mineral resources of roughly 1 million ounces, all on granted mining leases.
The strategic merger also allows Brightstar to accelerate development and expansion of its existing mineral resources while also establishing the company as a potential near-term developer.
Brightstar's Laverton Gold Project assets are all centered on a 100%-owned 300-square-kilometer tenure in the Laverton Tectonic Zone and all within 70 kilometers of the Laverton Processing Plant. Additionally, all resources within this zone are open along strike and at depth. Only minor drilling programs have been conducted in recent years, paving the way for significant exploration upside with the potential for further regional and greenfields discoveries.
Brightstar also owns 100% of the Menzies Gold Project, a contiguous land package of granted mining leases over a strike length of roughly 15 kilometers along the Menzies Shear Zone and adjacent to the Goldfields Highway.
Company Highlights
- Brightstar Resources is an emerging ASX-listed mining and development company with more than one million ounces of gold resources and potential on-site processing infrastructure.
- The company has engaged experts to conduct a scoping study of its processing infrastructure with the goal of refurbishing and potentially expanding it.
- Once refurbished, this infrastructure will allow Brightstar to fill a growing investment void for near-term gold developers in Western Australia, producing large quantities of gold at low capital cost.
- Brightstar's mineral assets are situated across roughly 300 square kilometers of 100-percent-owned land in the Laverton Tectonic Zone. Together, they account for a current total JORC Resource of more than a million ounces.
- Brightstar’s Menzies Gold Project is a highly promising asset which has already undergone extensive historic mining and development. The Menzies Gold Project's total current resource estimate is 11.7 Mt @1.33 g/t gold for 505koz gold (40 percent measured and indicated; 60 percent inferred)
- Brightstar plans to continue generating shareholder value through a combination of development and strategic acquisitions along with some exploration.
Key Projects
Brightstar Processing Facility
Situated close to Brightstar's existing mineral assets at Laverton, the Brightstar Processing Plant provides the company with a considerable operational head start over its peers. The 485 kilo-tons per annum carbon-in-leach plant is currently on care and maintenance. Brightstar is assessing a refurbishment and expansion strategy for the plant, building on a 2021 report from Cosmo Engineers.
Highlights:
- Extensive Infrastructure: Current facilities at the plant include two ball mills, a power station and gravity and elution circuits. Other infrastructure includes:
- A tailings storage dam
- An on-site process water pond
- An operational 60-person accommodation camp
- An airstrip at the nearby Cork Tree Well Project
- Vehicles and equipment including a forklift, bobcat, two loaders, multiple light vehicles and a 30-tonne crane.
- A Leg Up Over Competitors: The presence of pre-existing processing infrastructure represents significant time savings compared to greenfields development.
- Low Upfront Capital Cost: A 2021 report from Cosmo Engineers showed that fully refurbishing the plant to a 650-ktpa throughput represents a capital cost of roughly $5.5 million, including $1.9 million in owner's costs and a 30 percent contingency.
- Further Expansion: In June 2023, Brightstar announced that it has engaged a team of independent experts to conduct a scoping study which will assess refurbishment requirements and expansion opportunities.
- Close to Existing Assets: Brightstar's three major development projects — Cork Tree Well, Beta and Alpha — are all in close proximity to the plant.
Cork Tree Well
Cork Tree Well is a former operating mine, producing 45 koz of gold over its lifespan. Located roughly 35 kilometers north of Laverton on Bandya Station Road, the project’s JORC 2012-compliant mineral resource of 5,610 kilotons (kt) at 1.4 g/t for 252 koz of gold has increased by 20 percent to 303 koz, delivering a combined JORC Resource base of 1.02 million ounces gold from the Laverton and Menzies gold projects.
Highlights:
- Promising Drilling Results: Two 6,000-meter drill programs were completed in late 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023 delivered an uplift in tonnages and ounces at a discovery cost of AU$30 per ounce. The JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate increased by 20 percent to 303 koz delivering a combined JORC Resource base of 1.02 million ounces of gold and representing a 65-percent increase to the indicated ounces to 157 koz @ 1.6g/t gold. These results further provide a more robust base for mining scoping studies.
- Upcoming Feasibility Studies: The drilling program will underpin several feasibility studies that Brightstar intends to conduct later this year. At present, Brightstar has defined a resource envelope over a strike length of approximately 1 kilometer and down to 200 meters.
- Area Geology: The Cork Tree deposit is situated along the western limb of the Erlistoun synclical structure, a sequence which includes mafic volcanic lavas, tuffs and tuffaceous sediments alongside minor interflow graphitic shales and banded iron formation. The mine itself consists of chlorite schist-altered high-magnesium basalt footwalls overlain by graphitic shales containing banded iron and chert beds. Gold mineralization is contained within sediments intruded by concordant porphyry sills spanning the length of the mineralized zone.
Menzies Gold Project
Situated 130 kilometers north of the globally significant Kalgoorlie gold deposit, Menzies represents one of Western Australia's leading historic gold fields. The project, fully owned and operated by Kingwest prior to its merger with Brightstar, consists of a contiguous land package of a strike length in excess of 15 kilometers. All deposits are now 100-percent-owned by Brightstar and lie within granted mining leases.
Brightstar intends to leverage its processing infrastructure to monetise the high-grade open pit ounces produced by this mine.
Highlights:
- Significant Historical Production: Menzies has hosted multiple historically mined high-grade gold deposits which together produced a total of over 800,000 ounces at 19 g/t gold. This includes 643,000 oz @ 22.5 g/t gold from underground.
- Profit Sharing: Brightstar and BLM Ventures have a 50/50 profit-sharing joint venture agreement to exploit the Selkirk deposit at Menzies. Under this agreement, Brightstar is responsible for capital costs, mining and haulage. The joint venture also has a toll treating agreement with St Barbara Limited (ASX:SBM) to process ore from Selkirk at Leonora.
- Area Geology: The Menzies Gold Project is hosted along the Menzies Shear Zone in the western margin of the Menzies greenstone belt. It displays a geologic setting similar to the Sand Queen Gold Mine at Comet Vale.
LAVERTON GOLD PROJECT – OTHER RESOURCES
Beta
Located immediately adjacent to the Brightstar Plant, the Beta Project includes a 60-person camp. It contains a combined JORC 2012-compliant mineral resource of 1,882 kt at 1.7 g/t for 102 koz of gold. The deposit occurs along the Eastern Margin of the Laverton Tectonic Zone, notable for hosting multiple major gold occurrences including Granny Smith, Keringal, Red October and Sunrise Dam.
Alpha
Hosting a combined JORC 2012-compliant mineral resource of 1,452 gold at 2.3 g/t for 106 koz, the Alpha Project. Future exploration programs and feasibility studies will seek to potentially capitalize on Alpha's close proximity to Beta.
Management Team
Alex Rovira - Managing Director
Alex Rovira holds a Bachelor of Science (geology) and Bachelor of Commerce (corporate finance) from the University of Western Australia, and for the past nine years has been working as an investment banker at a global financial services company that focused on the metals and mining sector.
Greg Bittar – Non-Executive Chairman
Greg has extensive experience in public and private markets mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and strategic advisory assignments across a range of sectors including general industries, metals and mining, mining services and energy.
Jonathan Downes - Non-executive Director
Jonathan Downes has more than 25 years’ experience in the mining industry and has worked in various geological and corporate capacities. He has worked with nickel, gold and base metals and has also been intimately involved with numerous private and public capital raisings.
Josh Hunt - Non-executive Director
Josh Hunt is an experienced capital markets and M&A lawyer and has extensive experience in all aspects of mining and energy project acquisitions and disposals and general mining legislation compliance throughout Australia. Hunt has advised on numerous IPOs, fundraisings, and acquisitions by both public and private companies on the ASX and internationally. He will assist the Brightstar board with corporate governance, company law and capital market management going forward.
Tony Lau - Non-executive Director
Tony Lau is currently the chief financial officer of Stone Group Holdings based in Hong Kong. Lau has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers Hong Kong for 12 years. Over the past two decades, he has been advising numerous Chinese companies on IPOs and capital raising in the Hong Kong capital market and investing in the mining industry in Australia.
Scoping Study Completed for Nueva Sabana Mine, Cuba
- The 752ha concession covering the Nueva Sabana deposit also hosts the El Pilar, Gaspar, and Camilo porphyry copper intrusives, and numerous shallow gold targets identified by artisanal mining.
- The Nueva Sabana deposit has a small 3g/t gold cap, an underlying copper-gold zone, and a deeper sulphide copper zone that is open at depth at 150m, and could potentially transition into the El Pilar porphyry copper deposit which is offset to the south.
- The Study has been based on a pit limited to 100m depth which at a mining rate of 500,000tpa of ore, will result in an initial mine life of 4 years.
- With additional exploration by the joint venture, and a greater mining depth, the project life and NPV could be increased.
- The Initial MRE for Nueva Sabana which is incorporated as ATTACHMENT A in the Study, established approximately 30M lb of 0.8% copper in Inferred Resources within the 50m below the planned 100m mining depth for the first stage of the development which is a positive indication of the potential to increase the mine life.
- Metallurgical testwork set out in ATTACHMENT C has indicated the mine will initially produce a gold concentrate with a grade of ~70.9g/t Au, followed by a blended copper-gold concentrate with an average grade of ~27.4% Cu, and 25g/t Au.
- The off-take agreement is expected to include a provision for advanced payments for concentrates by the buyer, to assist in the funding of construction costs.
Payables for these concentrates have been received from the two international commodity traders the joint venture is negotiating with to establish an off-take agreement.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR STAGE ONE OF THE NUEVA SABANA MINE:
- Pre-development Costs of ~USD5.0M including the concession acquisition are being met by MLV
The Chairman of Antilles Gold, Mr Brian Johnson, commented that“even though the first stage of the Nueva Sabana project is quite small, it is fortunate that it will be development-ready within a short period of time.
This is economically advantageous considering the joint venture’s flagship development, the La Demajagua gold-silver-antimony mine, had to be delayed after being expanded to allow the production of a gold doré when the market for its gold-arsenopyrite concentrate became an issue in August 2023.
Antilles Gold intends to subscribe the final US$2.0M of its US$15.0M earn-in for a 50% shareholding in the joint venture company, Minera La Victoria (“MLV”), within the next few months. Thereafter, the Company’s cash burn will be substantially reduced.
If MLV decides to undertake an exploration program on the copper properties before cash flow becomes available from the Nueva Sabana mine in Q4 2025, the required capital will probably have to come from a share issue by MLV to Antilles Gold, and, or a third party.
With respect to this possibility, MLV has recently presented commercial propositions to two major investors interested in becoming a shareholder in MLV, and participating in the exploration of its highly prospective copper properties, and the development of La Demajagua, and other gold projects potentially available to the joint venture.
However, MLV’s near term priority is to finalise negotiations on a concentrate off-take agreement for Nueva Sabana, and to arrange project financing.
Antilles Gold’s share of the NPV8 for the first stage of Nueva Sabana is ~A$70M at current metal prices of US$2,300 per oz Au, and US$4.30 per lb Cu, and an exchange rate of A$1.00 = US$0.65, which is significantly higher than the Company’s current market capitalisation of A$10.4M.
The opportunity for growth will increase with the proposed development of the La Demajagua gold- silver-antimony mine, where the Company’s share of NPV8 reported to ASX on 30 March 2023 was ~A$150M, prior to the decision to expand the project to produce gold doré from its gold arsenopyrite concentrate, and increase antimony production.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Antilles Gold, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Excellent Stope Performance as Mining Rates Ramping Up at Second Fortune
HIGHLIGHTS
- Current stoping and development production of 7,000 - 9,000 t/month, ramping up to the 12,000 - 15,000 t/month previously achieved mining rate at Second Fortune.
- Stoping recommenced in April on the 1085 level (Main Lode South), with stoping performing in-line with or better than expectations, achieving an average stoping width of ~1.5 metres
- Road Haulage recommenced in April after significant weather event in previous month
- Sampled Main Lode ore vein grades within ore development drives exceeding +40g/t Au
- Surface & underground diamond drilling contractors engaged to commence resource definition and near-mine exploration programs in near term1
Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, commented“The recommencement of ore haulage activities at Second Fortune is exciting to see as the team builds momentum towards the steady state production rate of 12,000 - 15,000t per month by the September quarter 2024, which was the previous mining rate at Second Fortune.
Whilst the operational Linden team on site is focused on safe production, Brightstar and Linden geologists have worked together to design a surface and underground drill program to build confidence in the existing Mineral Resource Estimate as part of Brightstar’s broader +30,000m drilling program across the Menzies and Laverton portfolio in the near term. This forms part of Brightstar’s commitment to unlocking the inherent value in the Linden assets and advancing the enlarged groups’ assets towards development and monetisation of the combined resource base within the Eastern Goldfields.”
Figure 1 - ROM Loader placing Second Fortune gold ore into road train (April 2024)
Figure 2 – Long hole open stoping at Second Fortune. Looking south on the 1085 Level Main Lode (April 2024) Highlighting narrow stope width, clean extraction with limited dilution and good ground conditions
Figure 3 - Planned surface (black) and underground (blue) drillholes into Second Fortune (block model shown)
TECHNICAL DISCUSSION
The Second Fortune underground mine has a present production run rate of 7,000 – 9,000 tonnes per month with the mine expected to reach steady state production of 12,000 - 15,000 t/month in the September quarter 2024 consistently achieved in recent years. Stoping recommenced in April, along with ongoing capital (decline) and operating (ore drive) development activities in the mine.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Brightstar Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Trailbreaker Resources Receives Exploration Permit for Swan Target at Atsutla Gold Project
Message from the President
“Receiving our exploration permit for Swan is a big step toward advancing the Atsutla Gold Project. We now have the capability to be more aggressive with our exploration efforts in order to advance the Swan target.” – Daithi Mac Gearailt
Swan Target Description
The Swan target is located in the eastern Atsutla Gold Property area, in northern BC. Swan is a potential gold-silver-copper (Au-Ag-Cu) porphyry system, defined by a 900 m by 700 m Au-Ag-Cu-arsenic (As) – antimony (Sb) – molybdenum (Mo) – lead (Pb) soil geochemical anomaly along a gossanous ridge. The host setting is a leucogranite porphyry intrusion with argillic and phyllic alteration assemblages. Bedrock sampling by Trailbreaker in the centre of the soil anomaly has returned values up to 11.5 g/t Au and 16.8 g/t Ag.
Historic IP surveying around the Swan target took place in the valley west of the soil anomaly. This work focused on a molybdenum anomaly associated with a semi-circular chargeability high. This chargeability feature partially wraps around the soil anomaly, but the survey dimensions do not cover the entire anomaly. Additionally, IP surveying will be valuable in identifying potential chargeability highs, which may indicate high sulphide content and associated alteration zonation. As well, resistivity characteristics may help vector toward felsic intrusive centers and high-density quartz veining which would indicate the potassic core of a porphyry system.
Figure 1: Highlights of the Swan target include the strong Au geochemical anomaly, phyllic and argillic alteration zones, and the partial chargeability high ring feature defined from a historic IP survey.
About the Atsutla Gold Project
The Atsutla Gold project covers over 40,000 hectares of underexplored and prospective ground in northwestern BC. The project covers a portion of the Atsutla mountain range 70 km south of the BC-Yukon border. Placer gold was recorded in the area during the early 1900s, with very little subsequent mineral exploration.
The project is centered over the crustal-scale Teslin-Thibert fault system that marks the division between the Quesnel and Cache Creek terranes. Gold mineralization is associated with Mesozoic intrusive batholiths that are the predominant geological unit on the property. Trailbreaker has discovered five significant zones of gold mineralization across the property. These are:
- Swan Zone – discussed above – Au-Cu-Ag porphyry target defined by a 900 m by 700 m multi-element soil geochemical anomaly with rock samples grading up to 11.5 g/t Au and 16.8 g/t Ag.
- Highlands Zone – A 750 m by 600 m area in the western Atsutla Gold property region, with veins containing coarse visible gold and assaying up to 630 g/t Au and 1,894 g/t Ag.
- Christmas Creek Zone – Gold-bearing quartz veins 2 km east of the Highlands Zone, with rock samples assaying up to 102 g/t Au and 524 g/t Ag.
- Snook Zone – High-grade veins 3.5 km northeast of the Highlands Zone with rock samples assaying up to 53.3 g/t.
- Willie Jack Zone – 1.25 km long gold-in-soil anomaly with soil samples assaying up to 3.77 g/t Au and rock samples up to 9.9 g/t Au.
About Trailbreaker Resources
Trailbreaker Resources is a mining exploration company focused primarily on mining-friendly British Columbia and Yukon Territory, Canada. Trailbreaker is committed to continuous exploration and research, allowing maintenance of a portfolio of quality mineral properties which in turn provides value for shareholders. The company has an experienced management team with a proven track record as explorers and developers throughout the Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alaska and Nevada.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
Daithi Mac Gearailt
President and Chief Executive Officer
Carl Schulze, P. Geo., Consulting Geologist with Aurora Geosciences Ltd, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 for Trailbreaker's BC and Yukon exploration projects, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this release.
Other
For new information about the Company’s projects, please visit Trailbreaker’s website at TrailbreakerResources.com and sign up to receive news. For further information, follow Trailbreaker’s tweets at Twitter.com/TrailbreakerLtd, use the ‘Contact’ section of our website, or contact us at (604) 681-1820 or at info@trailbreakerresources.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or financial performance that is based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; expectations regarding future exploration and drilling programs and receipt of related permitting. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "anticipates", "expects", "understanding", "has agreed to" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "would", "occur" or "be achieved". Although Trailbreaker has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Trailbreaker and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, if any, Trailbreaker has applied several material assumptions, including the assumption that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Trailbreaker does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c66345bd-85aa-42bb-a466-fe24fe4ce990
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