REG - East Star Resources - Epithermal Gold Exploration Update

East Star ResourcesAnnouncement

08/10/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 4372C  East Star Resources PLC  08 October 2025

8 October 2025

 

East Star Resources Plc

("East Star" or the "Company")

 

Epithermal Gold Exploration Update

 

Rock chips indicate fertile 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 Snowy epithermal gold target.

 

Highlights:

 

·    Additional rock chip analysis and mapping highlight prospective vein
system

·    Vein samples show gold up to 1.44g/t at surface

·    Veins traced over 100m of strike and continue open to the north

·    Current interpretation fits with a low-sulphidation epithermal
mineralisation model - geological similarities with: Round Mountain (20Moz Au,
Kinross) and Silicon-Merlin (16Moz Au, AngloGold) in Nevada; Fruta-del-Norte
(>14Moz Au, Lundin Gold) in Ecuador; and Pajingo (>3.5Moz Au, Yuxin
Holdings) in Queensland

 

Alex Walker, East Star CEO, commented:

 

"The latest mapping and rock chip geochemistry is delivering encouraging
results at Snowy.  Recent field work by East Star's geological team has
included several mapping and sampling transects over the Snowy alteration
system with encouraging gold results at surface. We have updated our deposit
model to a low-sulphidation epithermal system based on the geology observed at
surface. This deposit type is characterised by geological similarities seen in
notable deposits around the world, particularly in Nevada. We're excited to
continue testing this new model, which has the potential to host a large gold
system."

 

Copper Porphyry/Epithermal Gold

 

As East Star has increased its understanding of the alteration and surface
expression of the anomaly, the Company's interpretation of the target has
changed to focus on a low-sulphidation style of mineralisation.

 

The stratigraphy consists of a series of bedded volcaniclastic units, which
dip moderately (between 30⁰ and 40⁰) to the north. All the rocks are
pervasively silica and sericite altered at the surface. The auriferous veins
cut the stratigraphy at a steep angle, which presents an attractive conceptual
target at depth where there is the potential to find the 'boiling zone' where
the ascending fluids meet with a more permeable - usually volcaniclastic -
host rock, representing an attractive host rock for gold.

 

The Snowy veins are typically composed of quartz with minor occurrences of
pyrite and the gold is associated with the veins at surface. The surface
expression of these veins is between 15m and 30m wide and has been traced
along strike for over 100m, east-west. The system dips steeply to the north
(around 70⁰), cross-cutting the stratigraphy.

 

The Snowy alteration as observed in the hyperspectral data is characterised by
a pyrophyllite anomaly at the western end (which was the initial focus of the
exploration work) and then a high Al-OH sericite anomaly running along the
northern strike of the ridge and a low Al-OH sericite anomaly running along
the southern strike of the ridge which hosts the Eastern Target (See Figures 1
& 2). The current interpretation is that the variation between the high
and low Al-OH sericite marks a stratigraphic contact between the
volcaniclastic units.

Figure 1 - Schematic Section across Snowy Target showing selected mineralised
rock chips

 

 

 Figure 2 - PRISMA imaging showing pyrophyllite  Figure 3 - Gold in soil anomaly over the spectral area

 

Note on Low-sulphidation Epithermal Mineralisation

 

East Star is now evaluating the potential for gold at Snowy using a
low-sulphidation epithermal deposit model. Low-sulphidation epithermal gold
deposits form in the near surface environment where hot ascending hydrothermal
fluids mix with meteoric water, which cools the hydrothermal fluids and
induces mineral precipitation. The fluids forming the deposit are typically
neutral to mildly acidic and the alteration is typically less intense than
high sulphidation systems; consisting mostly of adularia and sericite
alteration. The spectral data demonstrates that the Snowy alteration system is
mostly composed of sericite and is less intense than the nearby lithocap to
the south-west of the Snowy target.

 

Snowy has numerous key features expected when targeting this deposit style:

1.    Veining at surface - Quartz veins with gold and low base metal
content at surface - see Figure 1

2.    Alteration - Sericite alteration confirmed through TerraSpec and
hyperspectral data

3.    Permissive host rocks - tuffaceous and volcaniclastic rocks

4.    Scale - demonstrated alteration over a very large area

 

The largest examples of low-sulphidation deposits in production are Round
Mountain (20Moz Au) and Silicon-Merlin (16Moz Au) in Nevada.

 

Next Steps

 

Now that drilling has been concluded in the East Region, the Company's
geologists will conduct a mapping and sampling programme over the veins at
Snowy with the aim of collecting much closer spaced samples over the vein to
establish the true scale of the mineralisation at surface and better delineate
the target. Following this, an IP survey would be a likely next step to seek
to illuminate the potential for mineralisation at depth below the surface
anomaly in preparation for drilling.

 

Contacts:

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 / Anna Stacey

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 multiple
exploration strategies:

 

·    Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) exploration, which to date
includes a deposit 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, initially supported by an initial US$500k
grant from BHP Xplor in 2024

 

Visit our website:

www.eaststarplc.com (http://www.eaststarplc.com)

 

Follow us on social media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/east-star-resources/
(https://www.linkedin.com/company/east-star-resources/)

 

X: https://x.com/EastStar_PLC (https://x.com/EastStar_PLC)

 

Subscribe to our email alert service to be notified whenever East Star
releases news:

 

www.eaststarplc.com/newsalerts (http://www.eaststarplc.com/newsalerts)

 

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.

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