ASX-listed junior, Brightstar Resources has continued its recent rich vein of form hitting more gold-laden intersections at its flagship Cork Tree Well deposit, located in the Laverton gold belt of Western Australia. Latest hits from its current reverse circulation drill program include a hefty 26 metre at 2.97 grams per tonne gold from 111m, 17m at a respectable 3.09 g/t gold from 139m and 5m at a cool 5.01 g/t gold from 70m.
The company says the mineralised intersections continue to confirm the tenor of the lode and importantly, locations are on par with the geological model with dip extensions of mineralisation intersected consistently throughout the strike length of the project. The mineralisation appears to be open at depth with Brightstar planning further drilling to determine bottom extent of the mineralised lode.
The resource definition drill campaign began in early September at the Cork Tree Well prospect and is the first to occur since 2012. The ongoing 12,000m, 89-hole program was designed to infill and extend the current JORC resource of 237,000 ounces at 1.9 g/t gold.
Brightstar Resources Managing Director, Bill Hobba said: “The opportunity for Brightstar at the Cork Tree Well project continues to grow with more intersections returned down-dip and outside of the current JORC Resource envelope. With an additional 22 holes returned in this latest batch of analyses, we have now received 69 holes of the 89 holes completed at Cork Tree Well. We are keen to share the results of the final 20 holes when received, and QAQC and analytical review is completed.”
Results so far from the 69 out of 89 reverse circulation holes at Cork Tree Well has confirmed the location of the lodes as interpreted in the current resource model. Remarkably, the average grade of many of the intersections appear to be higher than previous holes and the modelled resource head grade.
The additional 22 holes returned in the latest assay batch included results significantly greater than 1 g/t gold from 19 holes, including re-assays from 2 holes. Representing an impressive strike rate, Brightstar has hit notable gold in 53 of the 69 holes assayed to date. Interestingly, holes near the northern end of the southern pit, adjacent to the ‘saddle’ between the pits, returned some of the better intersections.
The company hopes these results will feed into a healthier JORC compliant resource down the track. The Perth-based developer is also awaiting the return of re-assays of the original intersections of nickel before interpreting the opportunity for ongoing prospectivity. Nickel hits recorded from earlier holes included a 1m intersection grading 1.64 per cent nickel from 45m downhole and a 1m hit going 1.66 per cent nickel from 64m. However, multi-element sampling for nickel only occurred every 20m, opening the potential for nickel mineralisation between the assayed horizons.
The geological sequence hosting the gold mineralisation is underlain by a basal mafic unit and overlain by high magnesium basalt - a common nickel source.
The company says although nickel sulphide mineralisation is not the primary target of the current drill campaign at Cork Tree Well, the solid nickel sniffs have come as a pleasant surprise.
Brightstar’s extensive tenement package is located in the highly prospective north Laverton greenstone belt in the Eastern Goldfields within the east Yilgarn craton. The east Yilgarn craton hosts two world class deposits including the behemoth Sunrise Dam and Wallaby gold mines in addition to Granny Smith and Mount Morgan.
Assay results are still pending from 20 holes to conclude the drill program before re-interpretation and re-modelling can be completed. These results will be reported when processed and Quality Assurance Quality Controlled checked. Additional drilling for the project is likely to be proposed for 2022 including extensions down-dip and along strike to the north.
With a wallet full of dollars from a recent capital raise, nearly half a million ounces of gold in the tin already and an arsenal of prospective tenements amassed within short trucking distance of its 100 per cent owned mill, Brightstar could be in for a watershed year as the company looks to go to the next level.
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By Matt Birney
