Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX: BTR) (Brightstar) is pleased to announce the second round of nonpriority assay results from sixteen Geotechnical diamond drillholes at Cork Tree Well (CTW) within the Laverton Gold Project (LGP).
These sixteen holes were part of a broader 20-hole diamond drilling program2 designed for metallurgical and geotechnical purposes. Brightstar's Managing Director, Alex Rovira, commented 'It is pleasing to see further high-grade assays continuing from geotechnical holes from the diamond drilling program that was completed at Cork Tree Well earlier this year. CTWGT004 returned a significant high-grade intersection of 4.0m @ 17.32g/t Au from 78.0m, which complements the previously announced1 intersection of 27.6m @ 17.77g/t Au (CTWMET003) drilled 200m to the north
The sixteen Geotechnical drillholes (CTWGT001 - CTWGT016) were drilled into the current optimized $2,750/oz pitshells generated in the 2023 Scoping Study3 with these holes designed by Brightstar's independent geotechnical consultants targeting structural and rock mass data for the definitive feasibility study. Both CTWGT003 and CTWGT004 were drilled perpendicular to the orebody and thus reported intersections represent estimated true widths of significant mineralised intercepts. Given the quality of the assays received from the drilling to date, Brightstar is excited to build on the existing 303koz @ 1.4g/t Au Mineral Resource4, which is open both at depth with high-grade plunging shoots and along strike targeting the structurally-controlled mineralised trends. The high-grade results returned to date are significantly higher than the current 1.4g/t Au head grade of the Mineral Resource (and 1.85g/t mine grade from the 2023 Scoping Study), representing significant upside to both metrics.'
Local Geology
The Cork Tree Well deposit within the Duketon Greenstone Belt lies along the western limb of the Erlistoun synclinal structure. The sequence includes mafic volcanics, mafic derived sediments and minor interflow sedimentary units. Outcrop is generally limited in the project area with alluvial, eluvial and aeolian cover to the north and south of the open pit areas. The cover is up to 20 metres thick in the northern part of the tenement. The gold mineralisation in the Cork Tree Well pits is structurally controlled and associated with steep east dipping units, in particular the dominant meta-basalt/dolerite/ultramafic and subordinate chert-breccia horizon located on the footwall of the sediment sequence. The open pit mine area consists of footwall, high magnesium basalts altered to chlorite schist overlain by black shales containing brecciated chert and banded iron beds and younger hanging wall tholeiitic pillow basalts. Mineralisation at the Cork Tree Well mine is contained within interflow cherts displaying preferential brittle deformation and less-silicified sediments displaying preferential ductile deformation which contain sulphide alteration/mineralisation. Where sedimentary units host gold mineralisation, late stage porphyry intrusions have been observed. The mineralisation north of the historical open pits is associated with a sheared quartz metadolerite/ultra mafic within a talc chlorite schist host. Gold is associated with brecciated quartz veining and other deformational features across multiple lithologies.
Geological Observations from CTWGT003 & CTWGT004
Gold grades were returned above the Cork Tree Well deposit's Mineral Resource Estimate average gold grade in both holes and within the optimised pit shell design. Results from CTWGT003 and CTWGT004 provide additional insight into the continuity of mineralised envelopes extending below the current pit shell design linking historically defined high grade mineralisation at depth. The mineralisation returned in both geotechnical holes fit within the previously recognised/modelled mineralisation trends. Structural deformation, multiple phases of veining and alteration were present in mineralised intervals observed in both CTWGT003 & CTWGT004. Significant intercepts were variably brecciated and characterised by increased interstitial/intergranular silica flooding, multiple phases of veining and alteration. The geotechnical diamond drilling provided additional insight into the relationship between (locally) deepened weathering profiles coincident with the steeply dipping mineralised envelopes. Repeated deep weathering profiles associated with significant mineralisation adjacent to the optimised pit shell provide additional targeting opportunities for future drilling campaigns testing structural repetitions of mineralisation.
Contact:
Alex Rovira
Managing Director
Email: alex@brightstarresources.com.au
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