Brightstar hits multi-mine producer status with second Laverton mine

Brightstar Resources has fired a first shot to open up the company’s Bonito portal at its Fish underground mine, marking the launch of a second underground mine at its Laverton Hub in Western Australia’s Goldfields region. The first ore is due mid-year.

Last week’s milestone event reflects a year of intense development by Brightstar that has delivered a second high-grade underground ore source from its Laverton Hub on time and under budget.

Site development is ongoing, with construction of an initial 20-man camp and other key infrastructure on schedule. Power station, fuel tank and generator installation is in progress and a communications tower is being constructed.

Mining equipment is already on site and commissioned and the explosives magazine is in place, allowing for the onset of underground operations.

Brightstar’s owner-operator mining team set up the underground mine portal and related open pit support, including rock-bolting, ahead of the milestone first development firing.

Access and ore transport infrastructure is also in place. The upgrades will improve ongoing ore haulage from the company’s Lord Byron stockpiles and will be timely for the start of mid-year ore production from the new Fish underground operation, about 10 kilometres east of Lord Byron.

Other site services, including pit dewatering gear and technical offices, are also operational.

The successful firing of the Bonito portal at our newest underground mine at Fish, on schedule and under budget, is a key moment as we advance toward becoming a multi-mine gold producer. With infrastructure installation ongoing concurrently with mine development and first ore from Fish on track for June, we’re building operational momentum in the Laverton Hub at an opportune time with record gold prices.

Production from the new Fish underground project will soon complement current production from Brightstar’s Second Fortune underground mine, which produced 38,000 ounces of gold up until 2018.

Second Fortune was brought out of care and maintenance in 2021 and has since been mined for more than 350,000 tonnes of ore at 3.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold.

In March, Brightstar began processing its first ore parcel at Genesis Minerals’ Laverton Mill, a pivotal event that marked the start of the company’s gold production.

Brightstar has an agreement with Genesis that will allow the company to process up to 500,000t of ore at its Laverton Mill through this year and the first quarter of next year.

The first processing parcel included about 60,000t of ore blended to 2g/t gold from ore mined from the company’s Second Fortune underground mine and its Lord Byron mine stockpiles.

When Fish comes online with ore production later this year, Brightstar will hail its coming of age as an emerging multi-mine producer – a move impeccably timed to take advantage of the current record gold prices.

The mine sequencing is in line with Brightstar’s Laverton production strategy, which is built around multiple ore sources.

Second Fortune is currently producing about 10,000t per month at a reconciled grade of 3.6g/t gold and Fish is expected to deliver about 15,000t per month.

When Fish ore is blended with feed from Second Fortune, the combined production will underpin Brightstar’s production and cash flow this year.

The company is also making hay while the sun shines on the gold price by hoovering up its existing Laverton open pit stockpiles, which comprise a total of about 200,000t at 1g/t gold.

The Laverton Hub is the easternmost of Brightstar’s three geographically separate project centres, along with its Sandstone and Menzies hubs. Together, the three operation centres contain a combined total resource of 3 million ounces of gold.

This month, Brightstar plans to begin underground capital development at Fish to access its first ore drive level while completing the setup of its power station, workshop construction and installation of its underground ventilation fans.

Underground development will be progressed in May to prepare for opening up production ore drives, with first ore from Fish and haulage to the Laverton processing mill slated for June.

Management says Brightstar now has two operational underground mines in Laverton, a definitive feasibility study nearing completion and two reverse circulation drill rigs in the field for exploration and resource growth.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au