Brightstar Resources Advances Goldfields Plant With First Gold in June 2027
Key Takeaways
- CIL circuit concrete works — ring beams, slab, and containment walls — are complete and ahead of schedule, allowing tank installation to commence earlier than planned.
- First gold remains targeted for June 2027, less than ten months away, with the project on schedule and within the approved budget.
- The 1.5Mtpa Laverton processing plant is designed to produce ~75koz per annum from FY28 over a six-year mine life, backed by an A$606 million NPV at an 8% discount rate and ~A$1 billion in life-of-mine cash flows.
- Second Fortune underground mine has transitioned to care and maintenance with ~50kt @ 3.1g/t Au stockpiled for plant ramp-up, while Lord Byron open pit infrastructure is targeted to commence in October 2026.
- Future Goldfields cash flows are earmarked to fund development of the Sandstone Project, which hosts a 2.9Moz @ 1.3g/t Au Mineral Resource, extending the company's growth runway beyond the initial six-year mine life.
Brightstar Resources is advancing construction of its 1.5Mtpa Laverton processing plant on schedule and within the approved budget, with first gold targeted for June 2027, less than ten months away. The 100%-owned Goldfields Project in Western Australia is designed to produce approximately ~75koz per annum over an initial six-year mine life, positioning the company as an emerging mid-tier gold producer.
August construction milestones signal strong execution
Construction activities across the Goldfields Project advanced strongly through August, with several workstreams delivered on or ahead of schedule. The standout milestone for the month was the completion of concrete works for the Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit, which enabled the CIL tank installation team to commence on site ahead of schedule.
The July 2026 project update documented similar momentum across civil works and earthworks, providing a useful baseline against which August’s CIL circuit completion and first mechanical equipment delivery represent clear step-change progress.
Key achievements during August include:
- Concrete work for the CIL circuit ring beams, slab, and containment walls completed, allowing tank installation to commence ahead of schedule
- Concrete works progressed for the primary crusher, SAG mill plinths, and thickener foundations and pedestals
- Bulk earthworks for raw and process water ponds completed; earthworks for the Non-Process Infrastructure (NPI) and ROM pad extension continuing
- First mechanical equipment delivered to site, with the vibrating screen received in August
- Borefields development drilling continuing, with carrier pipework welding commenced and main header pipework delivered to site
- Structural steel and platework fabrication packages progressing
Alex Rovira, Managing Director
“Construction activities at our Goldfields Project continued to advance strongly through August, with the project remaining on schedule for construction completion and first gold in June 2027. The completion of the CIL circuit concrete and the arrival of the first mechanical equipment on site are important milestones… We look forward to keeping our stakeholders updated as we advance to first gold in less than ten months’ time.”
September priorities: what’s next on the critical path
The following key milestones are scheduled for September:
- Complete concrete across the crushing, surge bin, grinding, and classification areas, and commence civil works for the reagents area
- Advance CIL tank platework installation
- Commence structural steel erection at the surge bin area
- Continue borefields development drilling and welding and installation of carrier and main header pipework
- Commence work streams with mining teams on Lord Byron open pit and Fish underground mine preparations
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What is a CIL circuit and why does it matter for gold production?
A Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuit is the core processing system used to extract gold from ore. In simple terms, crushed ore is mixed with a cyanide solution that dissolves the gold, and then activated carbon is added to absorb the dissolved gold from the liquid. That gold-loaded carbon is later processed to recover the metal.
Completing the CIL circuit concrete is a meaningful milestone because it unlocks the next phase of construction: the installation of the large steel CIL tanks themselves. With this concrete work now done ahead of schedule, the critical path to plant commissioning remains intact. For investors, each completed construction phase reduces the technical risk associated with the project and brings the first gold revenue milestone closer.
Mining operations transition and near-term ore supply
The Second Fortune underground mine concluded mining operations during the period and has safely transitioned into care and maintenance. The mine operated for six years without a Lost Time Injury (LTI), a strong safety record. Importantly, high-grade stockpiles of approximately ~50kt @ 3.1g/t Au for approximately ~5koz are available to provide valuable ramp-up material following plant commissioning. This is a planned transition aligned with the project schedule, not an operational setback.
Planning activities for the Lord Byron open pit are continuing, with infrastructure commencement anticipated in October and mobilisation targeted for DecQ’26. Fish underground mine preparations are also underway.
| Mine | Type | Status | Next Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Fortune | Underground | Care & maintenance | Stockpile available for ramp-up | Post-commissioning |
| Lord Byron | Open pit | Planning | Infrastructure commencement | October 2026 |
| Fish | Underground | Preparation | Mobilisation | Near-term |
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Goldfields Project investment case: path to ~75koz producer
The Goldfields Project is on track to produce approximately ~75koz per annum from FY28 over an initial six-year mine life. The January 2026 Updated Goldfields Feasibility Study outlined the financial metrics underpinning this target: approximately ~A$1 billion in life-of-mine cash flows, an A$606 million NPV at an 8% discount rate, and a 74% internal rate of return.
Future cash flows from Goldfields production are expected to provide material funding to support development of the company’s flagship Sandstone Project, which hosts a 2.9Moz @ 1.3g/t Au Mineral Resource. The company is also actively assessing a 2.5Mtpa throughput upside scenario and parallel mine-life extension opportunities as additional optionality.
For readers wanting to examine the production schedule and cost assumptions behind these metrics in detail, our full explainer on the 2026 Goldfields Feasibility Study walks through the 457koz production profile, mine sequencing, and capital cost structure that underpin the A$606 million NPV.
Exploration drilling has commenced at early-stage targets in the Laverton Hub, targeting potential Mineral Resource growth proximal to the mill site. Brightstar’s stated ambition is to become a substantial mid-tier Western Australian gold producer, with the Goldfields Project representing the first step in that staged development strategy.
Ready to Explore Brightstar Resources’ Path to ~75koz Annual Gold Production?
Brightstar Resources is executing strongly on its 100%-owned Goldfields Project in Western Australia, with CIL circuit concrete completed ahead of schedule and first gold targeted for June 2027. Backed by an A$606 million NPV and approximately A$1 billion in life-of-mine cash flows, the project is advancing on time and within budget.
Investors looking to dig deeper into the production schedule, capital structure, and mine sequencing behind these metrics can explore the full Brightstar Resources investor profile on Discovery Alert. Every completed construction milestone brings this emerging mid-tier gold producer closer to its first revenue milestone.