Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) (Brightstar) is pleased to announce that the remaining assays from the 37 hole, 4,486m RC program at two projects within the Menzies Gold Project have been received.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Results from the remaining 18 holes at Brightstar’s inaugural RC drilling program at the Menzies Gold Project have been received with numerous high-grade hits at Aspacia and the shallow 8-hole Lady Shenton-Lady Harriet “Link Zone” program including:
- Aspacia:
- 1m @ 16.16g/t Au, within 4m @ 4.79g/t Au from 112m (MGPRC025)
- 4m @ 2.45g/t Au from 96m including 1m @ 6.85g/t Au (MGPRC025)
- 3m @ 2.92g/t Au from 29m including 1m @ 6.44g/t Au (MGPRC018)
- 2m @ 4.16g/t Au from 35m (MGPRC017)
- 1m @ 6.13g/t Au from 89m (MGPRC026)
- Link Zone:
- 1m @ 13.95g/t Au from 45m (MGPRC036)
- 4m @ 3.21 g/t Au from 40m (MGPRC034)
- 3m @ 4.29g/t Au from 45m (MGPRC037)
- 4m @ 1.99 g/t Au from 54m (MGPRC038)
- Aspacia assays confirm +500m of strike extent of the high-grade historically mined underground and is open both at depth and along strike, with 18 of 19 holes hitting +2.0g/t Au mineralisation which is typical of underground resource cut-off grades
- All eight holes hit mineralisation at Link Zone, with drilling results highlighting consistent shallow mineralisation for potential open pit mining scenarios targeting oxide mineralisation
- Follow up drill program being designed for Aspacia and Link Zone to commence in Q3
- Assays pending for ~2,000m RC campaign at Cork Tree Well, Laverton
- Mobilisation of mining fleet to Selkirk imminent with on-ground activity commenced
When viewed in conjunction with the results announced on the 19th of July 2023, which included mineralised intercepts such as 1m @ 39.9g/t Au (MGPRC020) at Aspacia, Brightstar’s drilling has highlighted immense potential to develop a high-grade underground resource at Aspacia and shallow, near-surface resources at discrete deposits in the Lady Shenton-Lady Harriet “Link Zone”.
Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, commented“We are pleased to receive the final assays from the Menzies Gold Project RC program, which tested and confirmed our understanding of certain mineralised systems at Menzies. Both targets in Aspacia and the Link Zone represent two compelling areas for further testing, with Aspacia representing high grade ‘Menzies style’ mineralisation around the historic underground mine, and the “Link Zone” presenting a great opportunity to explore for shallow oxide material which would be ideal for open pit mining scenarios with shallow, broader medium grade intercepts conducive to open pit mining methods.
Drilling results at Aspacia have confirmed our geological model and pleasingly increased the known strike and depth extents beyond the historic high-grade underground workings which were historically mined at +30g/t Au. It is encouraging to see the consistency of the gold-bearing structures and intercepts where they were modelled to be (economic mineralisation of +2.0g/t Au recorded in 18 of 19 holes), especially given the drilling was extensional drilling testing conceptual locations of lode positions at depth and along strike. The presence of multiple lodes in close proximity to each other and the high grades provide a compelling reason to continue to drill Aspacia and advance towards a potential delineation of a high-grade Mineral Resource Estimate.”
Technical Discussion – Aspacia
The Aspacia Prospect is located approximately 800m south of the Selkirk Prospect, which is currently being dewatered in preparation for initial mining operations under the mining joint venture with BML Ventures Pty Ltd (BML) who are the operators of the JV and responsible for working capital.
Aspacia contains multiple fault-offset lodes, including the Aspacia Main Lode and the West Lode which is offset approximately 100m to the west (interpreted geology, Figure 2). This Brightstar RC drilling program was designed to test both the Main Lode and the West Lode along strike and down dip from known previous drilling intercepts and historical mining records.
Mineralisation occurs within structurally controlled quartz-sulphide and shear-hosted lodes that exhibit a high ‘nugget effect’ typical of the high-grade Menzies goldfield, which can be seen in the variability of the assays returned. What is promising is that the geology and structures observed in the RC drilling have returned consistent ore-grade mineralisation, albeit with variability that is typical of mineralisation style in Menzies which occurs as narrow (<5m) shear-hosted lenses within the Menzies Shear Zone.
Historic records indicate that past production at Aspacia was modest in size but very high grade with +10koz produced at a head grade of 35.7g/t1. Compilation and interpretation of historical drilling and mine survey data, which is visually shown in Figures 1-5 overleaf, was completed to develop a targeting model by Brightstar which was tested with this 19 hole program to determine if the multiple mineralised horizons extended materially beyond currently-defined boundaries laterally and at depth.
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