Key Highlights

  • Construction at the 1.5Mtpa Laverton processing plant is reported as on schedule and on budget for first gold in June 2027.
  • Overall EPC earned value has reached 50 per cent, with the 90 per cent engineering milestone achieved in October.
  • Brightstar has acquired the 223-room Boomers Mining Accommodation Camp in Laverton to house the workforce.
  • The first blast at the Lord Byron open pit is now targeted for the December quarter, ahead of schedule.

Brightstar Resources Limited (ASX:BTR) has provided an update on construction at its 100 per cent owned Goldfields Project in Western Australia, reporting that activity continued to advance through October 2026. The company says the project remains on schedule for first gold in June 2027 and is tracking within its approved budget. The update, dated 10 November 2026, also outlines progress at the Lord Byron open pit and the borefield that will Supply water to the plant.

Processing Plant Construction Progress

Major SAG mill equipment package components have arrived on site, with further structural steel, platework and mechanical equipment deliveries continuing. The primary crusher concrete works have been completed, with backfill under way to connect the crusher to the run-of-mine pad. Structural steel erection has commenced at the grinding and classification area, and CIL tank platework and strake welding are well progressed.

Civil works are complete in the gold recovery and elution areas, while civil concrete works continue at the power station and across the reagents and water services areas. The company says that the 90 per cent engineering milestone was achieved in October, and that overall EPC earned value has reached 50 per cent. Figures of this kind measure completion against contract value, so they show progress rather than the remaining cost to finish.

Borefield and Accommodation Developments

The borefield development has reached a milestone, with bore flow rate testing under way and two production bores flow tested. Water is now flowing from the borefield to the plant site, which is a precondition for commissioning later in the project timetable. The company still has to complete the majority of bore development drilling, fit-out and pump testing.

Brightstar has also completed the Acquisition of the Boomers Mining Accommodation Camp in the town of Laverton. The camp comprises 223 rooms and will serve two purposes. During construction it will accommodate workers through peak plant construction and future shutdowns, and once the project moves into production it will act as a permanent base for mining, processing and site-based teams. The company has noted that surplus accommodation from its Second Fortune site could be relocated to add capacity.

Lord Byron Open Pit and Mining Schedule

Site establishment works have continued at the Lord Byron open pit, with grade control drilling under way and drill and blast contractor Aquirian Limited mobilised to site. The first blast is now targeted for later in the December quarter, which the company describes as ahead of schedule. Open pit mining is expected to commence early in the March quarter of 2027, leaving a relatively short period between the start of mining and the planned first gold pour.

The project execution schedule shows the plant and power, water and site infrastructure packages running through the construction phase, with gold production targeted for June 2027. Subject to the timetable holding, the company will move from developer to producer during the second half of the financial year.

Funding, Risks and Outstanding Work

Brightstar recently secured an A$82 million strategic Placement to accelerate growth at its Sandstone Project, including infill and step-out drilling at Two Mile Hill. The company says the placement does not change the budget or schedule for the Goldfields Project. The January 2026 updated feasibility study outlines annual production of more than 75,000 ounces for six years, although those figures are forecasts that depend on the successful completion of construction and ramp-up.

Construction projects of this size carry execution risk, including delays in equipment deliveries, contractor performance and commissioning. The company also has less than eight months until its first gold target, and any slippage in the remaining concrete, steel erection or pump testing could affect the timing of production.

Final Word

Brightstar's October update shows the Goldfields Project moving from earthworks and concrete into steel erection, equipment installation and mine development. The company has kept its June 2027 first gold target and its budget position, and the coming months will show whether the remaining plant installation and borefield work keep pace with that timetable. The next measurable markers will be the start of structural steel at the primary crusher, the completion of pump testing and the first blast at Lord Byron.