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East Star Resources Plc announced on 4 February 2025 that it completed three drill holes at its Verkhuba Copper Deposit between November and December 2024, with all intersecting mineralisation outside the current resource. The Company submitted 238 core samples from these holes for analysis, with results expected by end-February 2025. Additionally, East Star received Induced Polarisation survey results from Talovskoye, completed between October and November 2024, which indicated a conductor, and processed additional satellite spectral data for a 4 km by 1 km gold in soil anomaly at Snowy.
| Date | 4 Feb 2025 |
| Time | 07:00:03 |
| Category | Corporate updates |
| ID | 7359V |
4 February 2025
East Star Resources Plc
("East Star" or the "Company")
Exploration Update
All holes intersected mineralisation outside current resource at Verkhuba and further indications of significant epithermal gold target at Snowy
East Star Resources Plc (LSE:EST), which is exploring for copper and gold in Kazakhstan, is pleased to provide an update on recent exploration activities and future work plans in relation to its VMS and copper porphyry strategies.
Highlights:
VMS - Verkhuba Copper Deposit & Targets
· Completion of three drill holes at the Verkhuba Copper Deposit ("Verkhuba"), with all holes intersecting mineralisation outside of the existing modelled ore bodies which make up the current mineral resource
· Submission of 238 core samples from the three drill holes to assay service provider ALS in Karaganda for analysis - results expected by end-February 2025
· Further evidence supporting Talovskoye as a high priority drill target following Induced Polarisation ("IP") geophysical survey results indicating a conductor which requires infill survey lines
Copper Porphyry/Epithermal Gold
· Additional satellite spectral data from the large gold in soil anomaly (4 km by 1 km) at Snowy indicates a significant epithermal gold target worthy of follow-up work
Alex Walker, East Star CEO, commented:
"Recent exploration is delivering encouraging results across both our current work streams. Results at Verkhuba show we are advancing this already substantial copper asset, while refining other targets including Talovskoye for near-term drilling. At Snowy, the emergence of a large epithermal gold target bookended by old artisanal gold pits is undeniably exciting given the typically very large size of these deposits.
East Star has been operating efficiently in Kazakhstan for more than three years now and the global exploration community is beginning to accelerate its interest in the country. Our proprietary data set and experience provides a distinct operating advantage, and we believe 2025 will be a year of significant progress across all three of our exploration strategies."
Next Steps
VMS
Verkhuba Copper Deposit & Targets
Drilling started on 12 November 2024 and stopped for a winter break on 19 December 2024. A number of new mineralised zones have been intersected within the previously modelled open pit shell but outside of East Star's 2024 Verkhuba Mineral Resource Estimate. The mineralised intervals appear to correlate with the same stratigraphic horizon as existing modelled ore bodies and therefore drill results have the potential to add tonnes to the existing resources and lower the strip ratio of an open pit development.
Once received, East Star will evaluate assay results from Verkhuba and determine the extent of additional mineralisation and suitability of the results to inform additional drilling in 2025. East Star is also evaluating the potential for additional massive sulphide resources at Verkhuba. If targets are identified, geophysics and drilling will be used to test these additional targets in 2025.
Figure 1 - Main mineralised interval in VU_24_DD_008A
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Figure 2 - Pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite mineralisation in VU_24_DD_008A |
Talovskoye IP Survey
The IP survey began on 23 October 2024 and stopped on 8 November 2024. Surveys were completed on the Talovskoye and Nikolovskoye East targets. In total, 5.5-line km of IP was completed.
The results from the IP survey were processed by Mitre Geophysics in Australia. The data was processed, and sections were generated to visualise the IP response. Mitre noted a strong chargeable anomaly in the southernmost line of the Talovskoye survey. As a result, East Star has planned 50 m of infill lines at Talovskoye when the snow recedes which is expected to be in May 2025. East Star previously announced rock chip results at Talovskoye, including:
o 6.30% Cu, 5.19% Pb, 0.81 g/t Au and >100g/t Ag
o 8.44% Cu, >20% Pb, 1.1 g/t Au and > 100 g/t Ag and
o 2.58% Cu, 11.35% Pb, 3.84 g/t Au and >100 g/t Ag
Figure 3 - Talovskoye IP survey processed image showing chargeability anomaly
Copper Porphyry/Epithermal Gold
East Star previously announced soil sampling of the Snowy Licence. The licence is being explored for porphyry copper and epithermal gold. Results from the soil sampling show two anomalous targets on the licence. A copper-molybdenum anomaly in the western portion of the licence is prospective for a copper porphyry target, while another target (the "Eastern Target") is around 4 km long by 1km wide and displays anomalous gold (up to 0.28g/t) and silver (up to 7.2g/t) as well as arsenic, molybdenum and weak mercury in soils. This is consistent with the nearby artisanal workings present at each end of the anomaly, which are believed to have exploited gold bearing epithermal veins at the surface and lend additional support to the presence of mineralisation at the target.
Figure 4 - Artisanal pit located to the west of the target
Figure 5 - Quartz-pyrite altered rock (granitic precursor) found near to artisanal pit
Satellite hyperspectral data (PRISMA) has since been used to further delineate compositional variability within the gold target. Improved spectral resolution in the hyperspectral imagery allows mineral species to be identified and targeted. Spectral signatures collected from the imagery are interpreted to identify areas with high pyrophyllite (red) and variability in white mica composition (green and blue).
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Figure 6 - PRISMA imaging showing pyrophyllite |
Figure 7 - Gold in soil anomaly over the spectral area |
The images above show a very strong correlation between the pyrophyllite alteration and the gold distribution through the centre of the anomaly. This is significant as pyrophyllite is an indicator mineral of the higher temperature (deeper) portions of epithermal deposits and can be interpreted as being more proximal to the feeder structure of the mineralisation allowing for tighter vectoring into the central part of the mineralising system. Confirmation of the target through geological mapping is planned at the start of the field season. Likely follow-on work would also include geophysics - typically IP - before the target is drill ready. All of the follow-up work leading to a drill ready target can be completed in the 2025 field season.
Note on Epithermal Mineralisation
East Star is evaluating the potential for gold in a high sulfidation epithermal deposit. High-sulfidation epithermal gold deposits are formed in the epithermal environment (usually the upper 2 km of the crust) and at moderately low temperatures (100-300°C) and are usually associated with advanced argillic alteration often forming large, highly altered lithocaps. Most epithermal deposits are related to hydrothermal systems that form in response to the release of magmatic fluids (degassing) emanating from crystallising intrusions at depth. High-sulfidation deposits are characterised by a core zone of residual (vuggy) quartz flanked by quartz-alunite and advanced argillic alteration containing kaolinite/dickite and pyrophyllite produced by very low pH fluids below the paleowater table. These alteration minerals are highly amenable to mapping using remote sensing techniques such as ASTER.
The biggest examples of high-sulfidation deposits in production are Yanacocha in Peru (36M Oz contained) and Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic (>19M Oz).
Investor Webcast
Alex Walker, CEO, will host a presentation and Q&A for investors and shareholders via the Investor Meet Company platform on Thursday, 6 February 2025 at 10:30 a.m. GMT to discuss recent exploration activity.
Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and add East Star Resources Plc in order to attend the Webcast via: https://www.investormeetcompany.com/east-star-resources-plc/register-investor.
No material new financial or other information will be provided during the webcast. A recording of the webcast will be made available on the Company's website later in the day.
East Star Resources Plc
Alex Walker, Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +44 (0)20 7390 0234 (via Vigo Consulting)
SI Capital (Corporate Broker)
Nick Emerson
Tel: +44 (0)1483 413 500
Vigo Consulting (Investor Relations)
Ben Simons / Peter Jacob
Tel: +44 (0)20 7390 0234
About East Star Resources Plc
East Star Resources is focused on the discovery and development of copper and gold in Kazakhstan. East Star's management are based permanently on the ground, supported by local expertise. The Company is pursuing three exploration strategies:
· A Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) discovery with a maiden JORC MRE of 20.3Mt @ 1.16% copper, 1.54% zinc and 0.27% lead, in an infrastructure-rich region, amenable to a low capex development
· Copper porphyry and epithermal gold exploration, with multiple opportunities for Tier 1 deposits, supported by an initial $500k grant from BHP Xplor in 2024
· Sediment-hosted copper exploration with Getech where the initial targeting strategy is at no cost to East Star
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The person who arranged for the release of this announcement was Alex Walker, CEO of the Company.
Competent Person Statement
The technical information related to East Star Resources assets contained in this report that relates to Exploration Results is based on information compiled by Mr Christopher van Wijk, who is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and who is a Geologist employed by East Star Resources as an Executive Director. Mr van Wijk has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration, and to the activity which he is undertaking, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr van Wijk consents to the inclusion in the release of the matters based on the information he has compiled in the form and context in which it appears.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 2014/596/EU which is part of domestic UK law pursuant to the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations (SI 2019/310) ("UK MAR"). Upon the publication of this announcement, this inside information (as defined in UK MAR) is now considered to be in the public domain.
