Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) reports a ‘spectacular’ intercept at its Two Mile Hill-Shillington deposit within the 2.9-million-ounce Sandstone Gold Project in Western Australia.
The intercept yielded 305.4m @ 1.82 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 351.9m.
Brightstar says deep extensional drilling has increased the interpreted thickness of the host tonalite intrusion to more than 180m horizontally, tripling the previous interpretation of 60m.
Visible gold was observed throughout the drill hole, which ended in mineralised tonalite at 657.3m.
The broad 305.4m intercept includes multiple ‘high-grade’ zones, such as 17.5m @ 9.68g/t Au from 351.9m, including 1.1m @ 103g/t Au from 362.9m; 13.4m @ 8.59g/t Au from 531m; and 34.6m @ 4.11g/t Au from 586.7m, including 3.4m @ 10.5g/t Au from 598.9m and 1.5m @ 46.7g/t Au from 618.2m.
Shallow infill drilling also produced significant results, with one drill hole delivering 205m @ 2.67g/t Au from 293m, including 15m @ 18.5g/t Au from 293m, with 1m @ 265g/t Au from 302m.
‘High-grade’ intercepts were likewise recorded in the adjacent banded iron formation and basalt sequence, including 2.8m @ 74.1g/t Au from 235m in one drill hole.
Managing Director Alex Rovira says the results are potentially ‘game-changing’ for the deposit.
“Already a cornerstone deposit of the Sandstone Project, Two Mile Hill currently hosts significant resources within the mineralised tonalite intrusion,” Rovira says.
“This new deep drilling could have a material impact on the scale upside of the Two Mile Hill-Shillington deposit.
“Initial interpretations are that we may be seeing a blowout of the intrusion to both the east and west at depth, substantially increasing the volume of a prospective host unit.”
The Two Mile Hill-Shillington deposit hosts a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 14.6 million tonnes @ 1.6g/t Au for 731,000oz.
Entech has been appointed to complete an underground mining Prefeasibility Study for the deposit.
Brightstar currently has four rigs active on site, with diamond rigs scheduled to return to Two Mile Hill in early August for additional drilling ahead of an updated MRE before year-end.
It also notes assays remain pending for seven holes under the current drilling program.
Brightstar Resources is a gold producer and developer with assets in WA.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au
