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Brightstar Resources
Investor Insight
A gold-focused emerging gold producer with a clear pathway to production growth, Brightstar Resources presents a compelling investment case driven by its mining and development hubs strategy and a district-scale resource opportunity.
Overview
The price of gold stays strong. In April 2024, the yellow metal’s price passed US$2,400 per ounce for the first time. The reason is multifaceted. The world teeters on the brink of a severe recession while some markets attribute the increase to safe haven rush. Amidst ballooning interest rates, bank failures and falling bond yields, demand for gold continues to rise. 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 1,200 square kilometers in the Sandstone Greenstone Belt, 300 square kilometers in the Laverton Tectonic Belt and 80 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.
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 several years.
Brightstar's Laverton gold assets are all centered on a 100 percent-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 percent of the Menzies Gold Project, a contiguous land package of granted mining leases over a strike length of roughly 20 kilometers along the Menzies Shear Zone and adjacent to the Goldfields Highway.
In 2023 and 2024, the company announced a mineral resource upgrade to the Cork Tree Well deposit (Laverton gold project) and also delivered two maiden mineral resource estimates at the Link Zone and Aspacia deposits (Menzies gold project). This has grown the total group MRE by approximately 150 koz gold through organic exploration. Brightstar also recently announced the results from DFS-level metallurgical testwork programs at Cork Tree Well with returned recoveries over 90 percent, including a high gravity gold content, ranging from 25 percent - 60 percent.
The company has also acquired 100 percent of the shares and options of Linden Gold Alliance, a gold producer, developer and explorer with existing mineral resources of 350 koz @ 2.1 g/t gold near Brightstar in the Laverton district. Brightstar’s MRE has reached 1.1 Moz gold across the Menzies and Laverton projects, with an additional 0.35 Moz gold in resources added after the successful acquisition of Linden Gold Alliance.
In August 2024, Brightstar entered into a scheme implementation deed to acquire 100 percent of Alto Metals (ASX:AME), which owns the Sandstone gold project located in East Murchison. The project has a current mineral resource of 1.05 Moz of gold at 1.5 g/t.
Brightstar also completed the acquisition of the gold rights at the Montague East gold project (MEGP) from Gateway Mining Limited (ASX:GML). The project is located 70 km from the Sandstone gold project. The acquisition adds a further 9.6 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 0.5 Moz gold to Brightstar’s JORC Mineral Resource Estimate, giving the company a total mineral endowment of 38.3 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 2.0 Moz gold.
The acquisition of the MGEP from Gateway Mining and 100 percent of Alto’s shares creates a third district-scale resource base for the company called the Sandstone Hub. Upon consolidation of the Laverton, Menzies and Sandstone hubs, Brightstar’s mineral resources would reach 3 Moz at 1.5g/t gold.
Subsequent to the deal with Alto Metals, Brightstar entered into a $4 million drill-for-equity agreement with Topdrill to aggressively advance the consolidated Sandstone gold project. The deal strengthens Brightstar's financial capacity to fulfill its multi-hub exploration and development strategy, which includes the Menzies, Laverton and Sandstone hubs.
Company Highlights
- Brightstar Resources is an ASX-listed mining and development company with more than 3 million ounces of gold resources and an on-site processing infrastructure across its project locations in Laverton, Menzies and Sandstone in Western Australia.
- Brightstar's mineral assets are situated across roughly 300 square kilometers of 100-percent-owned land in the Laverton Tectonic Zone and ~80 square kilometers in the high-grade Menzies Shear Zone.
- The Laverton Gold project has a mineral resource of 9.7 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 511 koz gold and the Menzies gold project has 13.8 Mt @ 1.3g/t gold for 595 koz gold.
- In 2023, the company completed a scoping study into the development of its Menzies and Laverton gold projects and the refurbishment and restart of its processing plant in Laverton.
- In 2023 and 2024, Brightstar completed a small-scale mining joint venture with BML Ventures which involved a 50/50 profit-sharing agreement to exploit the Selkirk deposit at Menzies. In April 2024, Brightstar announced that this joint venture delivered a net profit to Brightstar of $6.5 million.
- In June 2024, the company successfully acquired all of the issued ordinary shares and options in Linden Gold Alliance, a gold producer, developer and explorer with existing mineral resources of 350 koz @ 2.1 g/t gold near Brightstar in the Laverton district.
- As part of the merger with Linden Gold, Brightstar released a scoping study into Linden’s development-ready Jasper Hills gold project, which delivered key metrics including:
- 140 koz mined over 3.75 years (35 koz pa)
- Net present value of AU$99 million
- Internal rate of return of 736 percent
- Pre-production capital requirements of $12 million
- All-in sustaining costs of AU$1,972/oz
- Jasper Hills is located just 50 km SE of Brightstar’s processing plant in the Laverton gold project
- Brightstar has recently completed the acquisition of the gold rights at the Montague East gold project (MEGP) from Gateway Mining Limited (ASX:GML), and has entered into an agreement to acquire Alto Metals (ASX:AME) further creating the company’s third district-scale resource base known as the Sandstone Hub.
- Brightstar plans to continue generating shareholder value through a combination of development and strategic acquisitions along with some exploration.
Key Projects
Laverton Hub
Brightstar’s Laverton hub is comprised of the Cork Tree Well, Beta and Alpha project areas with the addition of the Second Fortune gold mine and the Jasper Hills projects.
Highlights:
- Cork Tree Well, Alpha and Beta have current total JORC mineral resource estimate of 9.7 Mt @ 1.6 g/t gold for 511 koz (52 percent measured and indicated category). All mineral resources are on granted mining leases
- Cork Tree Well (6.4 Mt at 1.4 g/t gold for 303 koz gold)
- Alpha (1.4 Mt at 2.3 g/t gold for 106 koz gold)
- Beta (1.9 Mt at 1.7 g/t gold for 102 koz gold)
- Main project area Cork Tree Well is open at depth and along strike with recent drilling results of 34.4 meters at 7.94 g/t gold from 43.5 meters (CTWMET004) and 27.6 meters at 17.8 g/t gold from 51 m (CTWMET003)
- Second Fortune has a mineral resource estimate head grade of ~11g/t gold with an average ore body width of ~0.6 meters.
- Jasper Hills is located 50 km from Brightstar’s existing processing facility along a wholly-owned private haul road, allowing unimpeded, direct access to both projects
- Permitted, previously mined and production-ready
- Last mined by current owners in 2020 with 23,000 oz gold mined
- Scoping Study outcomes include:
- Pre-production capex of $12 million required (maximum capital drawdown)
- Open pit mine at Lord Byron and underground mine at Fish
- Production of 141 koz over four years (35 koz per annum)
- LOM EBITDA of $135 million (@ AU$3,000/oz)
Menzies Hub
The Menzies Hub comprises a tenement holding of a contiguous land package of granted mining leases over a strike length of more than 20 km. The majority of deposits hosted along the Menzies Shear Zone are located adjacent to Goldfields Highway in Menzies (130km north of Kalgoorlie).
Highlights:
- Total Current Resource: 13.7 Mt at 1.3 g/t gold for 595 koz gold (36 percent measured and indicated)
- September 2023 scoping study showed the simultaneous development of open pit mining at Lady Shenton system and underground mining at Yunndaga:
- 1.9 Mt @ 1.63 g/t Au (100 koz) in open pit mining at Lady Shenton
- 650 kt @ 2.91 g/t (60 koz) in underground mining at Yunndaga
- Low capex of $22 million
- Significant opportunities to find virgin discoveries and brownfields mineral resource growth:
Sandstone Hub
The consolidated Sandstone project is over 100 km from existing third-party milling operations in the Murchison. This third processing hub boasts Alto’s Sandstone project with a mineral resource of 1.05 Moz at 1.4 g/t gold and Gateway’s Montague gold project with a mineral resource of 0.5 Moz @ 1.6 g/t gold.
Brightstar aims to fast-track the development timetable through:
- A focused, multi-rig infill drill out to take the inferred mineralisation into measured and indicated status to underpin mining studies and project advancement
- The application of Brightstar’s dedicated in-house geological and mining engineering team to retain crucial project IP and fast-tracked mining studies;
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.
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
- A 60-person accommodation camp
- An airstrip at the Cork Tree Well Project
- Vehicles and equipment include 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. Brightstar had an independent valuation completed which valued the processing plant at AU$60 million in replacement value.
- Low Upfront Capital Cost: As part of the scoping study released in September 2023, GR Engineering estimated a capital cost requirement to refurbish and expand the milling capacity would cost just AU$18.5 million.
- Close to Existing Assets: Brightstar's major development projects — Cork Tree Well, Jasper Hills, Beta and Alpha — are all close to the plant.
Gold doré bars (BTR005 – BTR016) poured on 9 March 2024
Management Team
Alex Rovira - Managing Director
Alex Rovira is a qualified geologist and an experienced investment banker having focused on the metals and mining sector since 2013. Rovira has experience in ASX equity capital markets activities, including capital raisings, IPOs and merger and acquisitions.
Richard Crookes - Non-executive Chairman
Richard Crookes has over 35 years’ experience in the resources and investments industries. He is a geologist by training having previously worked as the chief geologist and mining manager of Ernest Henry Mining in Australia.
Crookes is managing partner of Lionhead Resources, a critical minerals investment fund and formerly an investment director at EMR Capital. Prior to that he was an executive director in Macquarie Bank’s Metals Energy Capital (MEC) division where he managed all aspects of the bank’s principal investments in mining and metals companies.
Andrew Rich - Executive Director
Andrew Rich is a degree qualified mining engineer from the WA School of Mines and has obtained a WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate. Rich has a strong background in underground gold mining with experience predominantly in the development of underground mines at Ramelius Resources (ASX:RMS) and Westgold Resources (ASX:WGX).
Ashley Fraser - Non-executive Director
Ashley Fraser is an accomplished mining professional with over 30 years experience across gold and bulk commodities. Fraser was a founder of Orionstone (which merged with Emeco in a $660-million consolidation) and is a founder/owner of Blue Cap Mining and Blue Cap Equities.
Jonathan Downes - Non-executive Director
Jonathan Downes has over 30 years’ experience in the minerals industry and has worked in various geological and corporate capacities. Experienced with gold and base metals, he has been intimately involved with the exploration process through to production. Downes is currently the managing director of Kaiser Reef, a high grade gold producer, and non-executive director of Cazaly Resources.
Dean Vallve – Chief Operating Officer
Dean Vallve holds technical qualifications in geology & mining engineering from the WA School of Mines, an MBA, and a WA First Class Mine Managers Certificate. Vallve was previously in senior mining and study roles at ASX listed mid-cap resources companies Hot Chili (ASX:HCH) and Calidus Resources (ASX:CAI).
Drilling Commences at Penny South Gold Project, Western Australia
Highlights:
- Maiden drilling program underway at Strata’s Penny South Gold Project in WA’s Goldfields
- Drill targets lie ~500m immediately south of the high-grade Penny West and Penny North gold deposits currently being mined by Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX:RMS) (723,000 tonnes at 17g/t Au for 3G5,000 ounces1)
- The planned reverse circulation (RC) drilling program will consist of 13-holes for ~2,800 metres, targeting two priority areas at Penny South
- Drilling aims to test the interpreted along strike and down plunge mineralised trend from Ramelius’s Penny deposits and immediate down-dip extensions of shallow anomalous intersections from historical drilling
- The drilling campaign, which is part of a drill-for-equity agreement with Topdrill, is expected to take approximately four weeks with initial results expected late March/April
Pic 1: Drone photo showing RC drill rig on Strata’s Penny South Gold Project in foreground and the Penny West open pit on Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX.RMS) tenure in the background approx. 500m to the North.
Managing Director Peter Woods commented:
“It’s fantastic to start drilling at Penny South, targeting two of our priority target areas. We are excited to see what is uncovered at depths immediately along strike from the Penny Mine which is just to the north of us and test down dip extensions of historical shallow anomalous intersections, overlooked by the project’s previous owners. With recent gold discoveries across WA, we’re driven to make Penny South one of those success stories. This first round of drilling will provide critical information to assist us in that pursuit.”
Penny South Gold Project, WA
The Penny South Gold Project (Figure 1) is located in a world class gold district, only ~500m south of the Penny Mine Project – one of Australia’s highest grade producing gold mines, owned and operated by Ramelius Resources Limited (ASX.RMS), with Ramelius recently announcing plans to expand exploration at Penny to the south, towards the northern boundary of Strata’s tenements2.
The Penny West Shear, which controls the location of gold mineralisation at RMS’ Penny North/West gold deposits, extends south into Strata’s Penny South Project, with ~2.5km of strike contained within the project area.
The planned program of 13 reverse circulation (RC) holes, totalling 2,864 metres, aims to test the interpreted along strike and down plunge mineralised trend extensions of the high-grade Penny West and Penny North Gold Deposits, as well as investigating zones of anomalous mineralisation from historical drilling3 (Figure 2).
Strata’s identification of a demagnetised zone within Strata’s Penny South Project, similar to the one associated with the Penny West and Penny North Gold Deposits just to the north of the Penny South Project (~500m), was a key component of the targeting process. The de-magnetised zone is interpreted as the pathway of a mineralising fluid system along the key structural pathways (Figure 3).
Figure 1: Location of the Penny South Project (E57/1045)
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This article includes content from Strata Minerals, 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.
Sarama Resources Advances Mt Venn Gold Project Acquisition
This follows Sarama’s recent acquisition of a majority interest in the nearby Cosmo Project (refer Sarama news release 6 December 2024). Together the projects create a 1,000km² well-positioned and underexplored landholding in the Laverton Gold District which is known for its prolific gold endowment (refer Figure 1) and recent discoveries.
Highlights
- Binding agreement executed for acquisition of 80% interest in belt-scale Mt Venn Project
- Located in the prolific Laverton Gold District, 35km from the producing Gruyere Gold Mine and less than 20km from Gold Road’s Golden Highway Deposit
- Project covers 420km² and features a favourable litho-structural setting, primarily in greenstone rocks
- Includes regional shear zone of ~50km strike length and 1-3km width extending full length of greenstone belt
- Advanced gold targets generated through historical exploration, including broad drill-defined gold mineralisation
- Highly complementary to Sarama’s recently acquired, underexplored and prospective Cosmo Project
- Creates 1,000km² exploration position in the Laverton Gold District, capturing 100km of strike length
- Land access agreement with Traditional Owners in place for exploration
- 100% scrip consideration with initial exploration funded by the November 2024 equity raise of A$2M
Sarama’s President, Executive Chairman, Andrew Dinning commented:
“We are very pleased to be nearing completion of the acquisition a majority interest in the Mt Venn Project and consolidating our position in the prolific Laverton Gold District of Western Australia. The addition of the Mt Venn Project will create a major 1,000km2 area-play and significantly enhances the probability of making the next big discovery in a region that continues to deliver new deposits in previously unexplored areas, including the regionally significant Gruyere Deposit just 35km east of the Mt Venn Project. Soil sampling programs at the Cosmo Project are progressing well, feeding into the process of bringing the Cosmo and Mt Venn Projects to account as expeditiously as we can.”
Mt Venn Project
The Project is comprised of 3 contiguous exploration tenements covering approximately 420km² in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, approximately 110km north-east of Laverton and 35km west of the regionally- significant Gruyere Gold Mine(3). The Project is readily accessible via the Great Central Road which services the regional area east of Laverton.
The Project captures the majority of the underexplored Jutson Rocks Greenstone Belt over a strike length of ~50km. Rocks within the belt feature a diverse sequence of volcanic lithologies of varying composition, together with pyroclastics and metasediments. Several internal intrusive units have been identified throughout the Project and are commonly associated with local structural features. A regionally extensive shear zone, spanning 1-3km in width, extends the entire length of the belt with subordinate splays interpreted in the southern area of the Project which provides a favourable structural setting for mineralisation.
Gold mineralisation was first discovered in the 1920’s with sampling returning very high grades and prompting the commencement of small-scale mining operations in the mid 1920’s. Multiple gold occurrences have since been identified throughout the Project, demonstrating the prospectivity of the system. Despite the identification of several km-scale gold-in-soil anomalies by soil geochemistry and auger drilling, many of these targets are yet to be properly tested. Encouragingly, drilling by Cazaly Resources Limited (“Cazaly”) (ASX: CAZ) at the Project intersected broad, gold mineralisation over several fences in weathered and fresh rock at the Three Bears Prospect, presenting a priority target for exploration (Cazaly news release 27 February 2017: “Widespread Gold & Zinc Mineralisation Defined”).
In addition to the attractiveness of the Project for gold, it is considered prospective for base metals and platinum group elements. Historical exploration work including auger geochemistry and geophysical surveys identified numerous targets for copper, nickel and zinc mineralisation. Several of these targets remain untested due to historical funding and land access constraints. Exploration in the belt to the immediate south of the Project area is noted to have intersected copper mineralisation of significant grade over a significant strike length(4).
In summary, the Project is located within a prolific gold district and has a favourable lithological and structural setting. A solid database of base-level historical exploration work by previous operators, including generation of drill-ready targets, provides a good platform for Sarama to advance the Project in conjunction with its activities at the Cosmo Project. The size and prospectivity of the landholding that Sarama will have in the Laverton Gold District upon completion of this transaction significantly enhances the chances of making an economic discovery, particularly given the infrastructure and proliferation of mines in the region which will have a favourable impact on the size threshold for finding something of economic value.
Figure 1 – Mt Venn and Cosmo Project Locations, Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia
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This article includes content from Sarama 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.
Sun Summit Announces Inaugural Mineral Resource Estimate on the Buck Project, Central B.C.
Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMN) (OTCQB: SMREF)("Sun Summit" or the "Company") is pleased to report the results of its inaugural Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") for the Company's 100% owned Buck Project in central British Columbia.
Highlights:
- Indicated Mineral Resources at Buck Main are estimated to include 19,100 gold equivalent ounces1 (oz AuEq) (18,300 oz gold and 158,000 oz silver) at a grade of 0.519 g/t gold equivalent1 (g/t AuEq) (0.496 g/t Au, 4.3 g/t Ag) contained within 1.15 million tonnes (Mt).
- Inferred Mineral Resources at Buck Main are estimated to include 820,400 oz AuEq1 (775,500 oz gold and 8,435,000 oz silver) at a grade of 0.489 g/t AuEq1 (0.462 g/t Au, 5.0 g/t Ag) contained within 52.2 Mt.
- The near-surface Mineral Resource at Buck Main is constrained within an optimized open-pit shell using a 0.25 g/t AuEq cutoff, ensuring reasonable prospects for economic extraction.
- Additional upside at Buck Main as the deposit remains open for expansion in most directions and at depth.
- Effective discovery with average drill costs of CAD $18 per ounce of AuEq included in the MRE.
Notes:
1. Gold Equivalent (AuEq) grade is based on AuEq = Au + 0.0053*Ag (see notes to Table 1 below)
Niel Marotta, Sun Summit CEO commented: "This initial resource is a major milestone for Sun Summit and demonstrates the significant gold-silver potential of the Buck Main deposit. Sound and aggressive infill drilling programs over the past three seasons have successfully achieved our goal of demonstrating the continuity of the resource in the central, high-grade area of the deposit. The deposit remains largely open at depth and along strike and future drilling will examine these areas for further expansion. The scale, grade, and potential economic viability of the Buck Main deposit provides a strong foundation for further expansion and reinforces the Company's strategy of advancing this district-scale gold-silver asset in British Columbia."
Buck Main Mineral Resource Estimate
Table 1. Summary of Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources for the Buck Main deposit
| Class | AuEq Cutoff | In Situ Tonnage and Grade | AuEq Metal | Au Metal | Ag Metal | ||||
| Tonnage | AuEq | Au | Ag | NSR | |||||
| (gpt) | (ktonnes) | (gpt) | (gpt) | (gpt) | ($CDN) | (kOz) | (kOz) | (kOz) | |
| Indicated | 0.25 | 1,148 | 0.519 | 0.496 | 4.3 | 40.40 | 19.1 | 18.3 | 158 |
| Inferred | 0.25 | 52,224 | 0.489 | 0.462 | 5.0 | 38.04 | 820.4 | 775.5 | 8,435 |
Notes to the 2025 Resource Table:
- Resources are reported using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards and were estimated using the 2019 CIM Best Practices Guidelines, as required National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101")
- The base case Mineral Resource has been confined by "reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction" shape using the following assumptions:
- Metal prices of US$2250/oz Gold, US$26/oz Silver
- Metallurgical recovery of 79% Gold and 38% Silver
- Payable metal of 95% Silver, 99% Gold in dore
- Forex of 0.72 $US:$CDN
- Offsite costs (transport, smelter treatment and refining) of CDN$8.50/oz Gold and CDN$0.25/oz Silver.
- Processing Costs of CDN$12/tonne milled and General & Administrative (G&A) costs of CDN$ 2.50/ tonne milled
- Mining cost of CDN$2.56 / tonne for mineralized material and CDN$2.50/tonne for waste
- 45-degree pit slopes
- The 120% price case pit shell is used for the confining shape
- The resulting net smelter return (NSR) for the purpose of the AuEq calculation = Au*CDN$98.60/g*79% recovery rate + Ag*CDN$1.08/g*38% recovery rate
- The resulting AuEq = Au + 0.0053*Ag
- Numbers may not add due to rounding
- Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the estimated mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves.
The Mineral Resources for the Buck Main deposit has been estimated using a 0.25 g/t AuEq cutoff determined using assumptions listed in the footnotes of Table 1. These assumptions satisfy the requirements of reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction. Table 2 shows cutoff sensitivities at different grades.
Table 2. Buck Main deposit cutoff sensitivities
| Class | AuEq Cutoff | In Situ Tonnage and Grade | AuEq Metal | Au Metal | Ag Metal | ||||
| Tonnage | AuEq | Au | Ag | NSR | |||||
| (gpt) | (ktonnes) | (gpt) | (gpt) | (gpt) | ($CDN) | (kOz) | (kOz) | (kOz) | |
| Indicated | 0.2 | 1,604 | 0.435 | 0.414 | 3.9 | 33.85 | 22.4 | 21.3 | 203 |
| 0.25 | 1,148 | 0.519 | 0.496 | 4.3 | 40.40 | 19.1 | 18.3 | 158 | |
| 0.3 | 852 | 0.605 | 0.580 | 4.6 | 47.09 | 16.6 | 15.9 | 126 | |
| 0.35 | 645 | 0.695 | 0.669 | 5.0 | 54.12 | 14.4 | 13.9 | 103 | |
| 0.4 | 494 | 0.793 | 0.765 | 5.4 | 61.76 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 85 | |
| 0.5 | 317 | 0.989 | 0.957 | 6.0 | 76.99 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 61 | |
| 1 | 91 | 1.783 | 1.743 | 7.5 | 138.87 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 22 | |
| Inferred | 0.2 | 70,847 | 0.419 | 0.394 | 4.7 | 32.60 | 953.5 | 897.2 | 10,617 |
| 0.25 | 52,224 | 0.489 | 0.462 | 5.0 | 38.04 | 820.4 | 775.5 | 8,435 | |
| 0.3 | 39,248 | 0.560 | 0.532 | 5.3 | 43.60 | 706.5 | 670.9 | 6,721 | |
| 0.35 | 30,088 | 0.632 | 0.602 | 5.6 | 49.21 | 611.3 | 582.5 | 5,419 | |
| 0.4 | 23,644 | 0.703 | 0.671 | 5.9 | 54.71 | 534.0 | 510.3 | 4,477 | |
| 0.5 | 15,697 | 0.833 | 0.800 | 6.3 | 64.87 | 420.4 | 403.6 | 3,171 | |
| 1 | 3,126 | 1.485 | 1.440 | 8.5 | 115.64 | 149.2 | 144.7 | 857 |
The Buck MRE is centered on the Buck Main deposit, 12 km south of Houston, BC. The road accessible deposit comprises a broad, 800 metre striking zone of intermediate-sulfidation epithermal-related gold-silver mineralization hosted in intermediate to felsic volcanics and intrusions. The MRE is based on 42,440 metres of drilling in 161 holes, of which 34,386 metres in 98 holes were completed by Sun Summit between 2020 and 2023 (Figure 1, Figure 2, Table 3).
Table 3. Drill data used in the Mineral Resources Estimate
| Year | Total Number of DHs | Total Depth (m) | Length Assayed (m) | Total % Assayed (m) | Number of DHs within Domains | Assayed Within Modelled Domains (m) | % Assayed within the Domains |
| Total | 161 | 42,440 | 39,737 | 94% | 123 | 27,034 | 99% |
Figure 1: Buck Main Drilling and Resource Pit Outline
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/242382_38bb74846467eae3_001full.jpg
Figure 2: Buck Main 3D View of Resource Constraining Pit showing AuEq blocks above 0.2 g/t
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6142/242382_38bb74846467eae3_002full.jpg
The effective date of the MRE, completed by Moose Mountain Technical Services is January 28, 2025. The Company will file a National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) technical report on SEDAR+ within the mandated 45-day period following the date of this press release.
Gold and silver mineral resources were estimated as follows:
- Wireframing of overburden and mineralized domains based on geology.
- Assay capping based on Cumulative Probability Plots (CPPs).
- Compositing of assays to 3m lengths based on the domains.
- Variography to determine the anisotropy of the Au and Ag within each domain.
- Block model interpolations by inverse distance cubed (ID3).
- Classification of the resource to Indicated and Inferred based on the variography.
- Creation of confining pit shape based on industry standard prices and comparable costs.
Discovery Metrics
Sun Summit has efficiently delineated the Buck Main deposit with a total drilling cost of approximately CAD$18 per AuEq ounce included in the MRE. Since 2020, the Company has completed 98 drill holes at Buck Main, totaling over 36,400 meters. The MRE was informed by assay results from 123 drillholes and 27,034 metres of assayed intervals. The Company incurred CAD $15 million in drilling expenditures since 2020.
The low discovery cost reflects the efficiency of Sun Summit's exploration strategy, which included systematic targeting using advanced geological modeling, geophysical surveys, and geochemical analysis. This exploration success underscores the strong potential for further resource growth, as the deposit remains open in multiple directions.
Next Steps
- Additional metallurgical testing will be initiated to optimize metal recoveries and evaluate potential byproduct elements, ensuring the economic viability of future mining operations.
- Further drilling designed to investigate the extents of the Buck Main deposit is recommended. Areas open to the north, west, and east will be targeted in future drill programs.
National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure
The Buck Main MRE was prepared by Sue Bird, M.Sc., P.Eng., V.P. of Resources and Engineering at Moose Mountain Technical Services, an independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Sue has also reviewed and approved the technical information about the MRE in this news release.
This news release has been reviewed and approved by Sun Summit's Vice President Exploration, Ken MacDonald, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. Mr. MacDonald has verified the data disclosed in this press release pertaining to the MRE, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying this information that has been collected by Sun Summit. Verification procedures include industry standard quality control practices. Some technical information contained in this release is historical in nature and has been compiled from public sources believed to be accurate. The historical technical information has not been verified by Sun Summit and may in some instances be unverifiable dependent on the existence of historical drill core and grab samples.
Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability; however, a reasonable prospect of eventual economic extraction pit has been used to confine the Resource Estimate using parameters detailed in the table notes.
The QP for the Mineral Resource estimate is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, marketing, political, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the potential development of Mineral Resource Estimate. Factors that may affect the estimates include: metal price assumptions, changes in interpretations of mineralization geometry and continuity of mineralization zones, changes to kriging assumptions, metallurgical recovery assumptions, operating cost assumptions, confidence in the modifying factors, including assumptions that surface rights to allow mining infrastructure to be constructed will be forthcoming, delays or other issues in reaching agreements with local or regulatory authorities and stakeholders, and changes in land tenure requirements or in permitting requirement.
Upcoming Events
Sun Summit Minerals Corp. is also pleased to announce its participation in two key events in Toronto. The Company will join the Precious Metals Summit Conferences One-on-One Meeting program on March 3-4 and exhibit at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention on March 4-5 at Booth 2412B. Sun Summit's new CEO, Niel Marotta, and Executive Chairman, Brian Lock, will be available to share insights into the Company's strategic direction and highlight recent project developments.
Community Engagement
Sun Summit is engaging with First Nations on whose territory our projects are located and is discussing their interests and identifying contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives. The Company looks forward to continuing to work with local and regional First Nations with ongoing exploration.
About the Buck Project
The Buck Project is situated in a historic mining district near Houston, B.C., with excellent nearby infrastructure that allows for year-round, road-accessible exploration.
The project is host to the Buck Main intermediate-sulfidation epithermal-related gold-silver-zinc system. Most of the mineralization drilled to date at Buck Main consists of long, continuous zones of disseminated and breccia-hosted, bulk tonnage-style gold-silver-zinc. Vein-hosted, high-grade mineralization has also been intersected near the center of Buck Main.
Exploration at the Buck Project is focused on investigating the lateral and vertical extent of gold-silver-zinc mineralization at the Buck Main system, and to define additional drill targets across the entire land package through systematic exploration programs.
About Sun Summit
Sun Summit Minerals (TSXV: SMN) (OTCQB: SMREF) is a mineral exploration company focused on expansion and discovery of district scale gold and copper assets in British Columbia. The Company's diverse portfolio includes the JD Project in the Toodoggone region of north-central B.C., and the Buck Project in central B.C.
Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com.
Link to Figures
On behalf of the board of directors
Niel Marotta
Chief Executive Officer & Director
info@sunsummitminerals.com
For further information, contact:
Matthew Benedetto, Simone Capital
mbenedetto@simonecapital.ca
Tel. 416-817-1226
Forward_Looking Information
Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition, the forward-looking statements require management to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. There is significant risk that the forward-looking statements will not prove to be accurate, that the management's assumptions may not be correct and that actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Generally forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "anticipate", "will", "expect", "may", "continue", "could", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may include, but are not limited to, estimates of mineral resources, potential mineralization, exploration plans, and engagement with First Nations communities. These forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect which, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; the impact of exploration competition; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof or the dates specifically referenced in this press release, where applicable. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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.
Adavale Resources: Unlocking Gold, Copper in a Tier-1 Mining Jurisdiction, and Uranium, Nickel Projects for the Future
A junior explorer with projects in tier-one jurisdictions, Adavale Resources (ASX:ADD) focuses on gold and copper alongside valuable uranium and nickel licences. The transformative acquisition of assets in the prolific Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales puts the company on a growth trajectory, presenting a compelling investment opportunity for savvy investors.
The company's portfolio spans 354.15 sq km and comprises four tenements: EL7242, EL8830, EL8831 and EL9711. The acquisition of these assets represents a transformational opportunity, strategically positioning Adavale Resources in one of the world’s richest gold and copper belts.
Adavale Resources recently acquired a 72.5 percent interest in the Parkes project, located in the highly prospective Lachlan Fold Belt of New South Wales. Adavale’s flagship project encompasses 354.15 sq km across four tenements in the Lachlan Fold Belt, a region that has produced over 80 million ounces (Moz) of gold and 13 million tonnes (Mt) of copper historically. The London-Victoria gold mine (EL7242) is a cornerstone of this portfolio, with historical production of 200,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 2 grams per ton (g/t). London-Victoria (EL7242) also recently received a successful renewal until November 2030.
Company Highlights
- A junior explorer, with projects in tier-one jurisdictions; focused on gold and copper, Adavale also holds valuable uranium and nickel licences .
- The January 2025 acquisition of the Parkes project in the Lachlan Fold Belt, spanning 354.15 sq km, strategically positions Adavale to expand on the historic orogenic gold resource (124 koz gold) and make a major epithermal and/or porphyry gold and copper discovery in this tier-1 mining jurisdiction. The Lachlan Fold Belt assets are strategically located near world-class mining operations, including Cadia, Northparkes and Cowal.
- The company’s extensive uranium tenements span 4,959 sq km across the Flinders Ranges and Eyre Peninsula, regions known for hosting tier-one uranium deposits.
- Adavale’s nickel projects in Tanzania’s East African Nickel Belt are strategically located adjacent to the Kabanga nickel project — the world’s largest undeveloped high-grade nickel sulphide deposit.
- Drilling and resource-definition programs in 2025 will target key gold, copper and uranium assets, building on the company’s diversified growth strategy.
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Olympio to Acquire Advanced Bousquet Gold Project, Quebec, Canada
Highlights
- Option to acquire up to 80% of the Bousquet Gold Project from Bullion Gold
- Located on the Cadillac Break, a regional structure associated with world class gold and copper mineralisation (>110 Moz Au1)
- Numerous high-grade prospects including Paquin East with historical intercept of 9m @ 16.96g/t Au6
- Within 15km of multi-million ounce working gold mines (Agnico Eagle’s La Ronde - 15.8Moz Au2 and Iamgold’s Westwood - 2.4Moz Au3)
- High-grade, quartz hosted vein systems with common visible gold, similar to nearby O’Brien Project 15km to the east (1.0Moz Au4, Radisson)
- 24km2 of contiguous tenure, covering a 10km strike of the Cadillac Break
- Complements the Company’s Dufay Au-Cu Project 60km to the west, and provides a combined 20km strike exposure to highly prospective segments of the Cadillac Break
- Excellent road, rail and hydroelectric infrastructure runs through the project, with year- round access
- Underexplored property with the majority of drillholes completed pre-1947
- The Option provides further exposure to a strong gold price with flexible structure terms
Olympio’s Managing Director, Sean Delaney, commented:
“Acquiring the advanced Bousquet Gold Project presents a significant opportunity for Olympio to expand our exposure to one of the world’s premier gold-bearing structures—the renowned Cadillac Break. The project is strategically positioned between substantial gold deposits to the east and west, with numerous high-grade gold prospects featuring gold both at surface and in drilling. This makes Bousquet an exceptional exploration target. The geological setting and mineralisation style closely resemble the nearby million-ounce O’Brien Project, where high-grade gold zones are often associated with visible gold in quartz veining.
“The Project is next to working gold mines with under-utilised mills (<20km by road), with a major highway, railway and hydroelectric power all traversing the centre of the project.
Bullion are divesting Bousquet to focus on their large Bodo polymetallic project which provides Olympio with this great opportunity to explore in one of the world’s best gold regions.”
Figure 1 Setting of Olympio projects, Bousquet and Dufay, on the Cadillac Break
The Bousquet Gold Project is a strategic land acquisition which complements the Dufay Gold-Copper Project 60km to the west along the renowned Cadillac Break. The southern half of the project covers a well-defined, regionally mineralised zone to the south of the Cadillac Break, which hosts numerous gold prospects within Timiskaming Group sediments that are exclusively correlated with the development of the Cadillac Break.
The Bousquet Project includes several advanced gold prospects and numerous structural and geophysical targets that remain untested by drilling or modern exploration. The majority of drilling on the project is pre-1947, and all prospects remain under-explored.
HIGH GRADE QUARTZ VEINS IN FAVOURABLE GEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Gold mineralisation at Bousquet is structurally controlled, quartz vein-hosted, high-grade gold associated with second and third order structures peripheral to the Cadillac Break, which is typical of the majority of mineralisation on the Cadillac Break1.
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This article includes content from Olympio Metals Limited, 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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