Western Australia's Sandstone Gold Region Consolidated Under Single Ownership After Court Approval

Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) has secured Supreme Court approval in Western Australia to finalize its acquisition of Aurumin (ASX:AUN) through a scheme of arrangement, marking a significant development in consolidating gold assets within the Sandstone Greenstone Belt. The transaction, first initiated in June and formalized through a scheme implementation deed in July, is set to become effective on November 21, with December 2 designated as the implementation date. Aurumin’s ASX delisting is scheduled for December 3.

The Strategic Significance of Asset Consolidation

This merger represents the first time in more than a decade that the Sandstone Greenstone Belt’s tenements have been brought together under unified control. As Alex Rovira, Managing Director of Brightstar Resources, noted, the last production phase in Sandstone occurred when gold prices were trading below AU$1,000 per ounce—a market backdrop vastly different from today’s environment.

Brightstar operates primarily through its Laverton hub, where the company runs Second Fortune and Fish mines, both company-owned operations. During the most recent September quarter, these assets generated 7,002 ounces of gold. Beyond Laverton, Brightstar maintains operational presence at Menzies and manages the Sandstone hub, home to its flagship Sandstone gold project.

Resource Profile After Integration

Brightstar’s Sandstone project currently hosts a mineral resource of 883,000 ounces at 1.5 grams per tonne (g/t). The company deployed three drill rigs during the September quarter to execute both infill and extension drilling on existing mineral deposits, while simultaneously pursuing early-stage greenfields exploration work.

Aurumin’s Central Sandstone project brings to the table a mineral resource of 19 million tonnes grading at 1.5 g/t, translating to 885,000 ounces of contained gold. The Central Sandstone deposit also contains a secondary iron enrichment, with assay results demonstrating grades reaching up to 67 percent iron content.

Pro Forma Resource Base and Growth Trajectory

Once the consolidation is completed, the combined greater Sandstone gold project is expected to command a pro forma total mineral resource of approximately 2.4 million ounces at 1.5 g/t gold. Looking ahead to the group level, the total mineral resource is projected to reach 3.9 million ounces at 1.5 g/t gold, contingent on a resource upgrade targeted for release during the first half of 2026.

“The advancement of our Menzies, Laverton, and Sandstone Gold Projects remains central to our strategic direction and our trajectory toward establishing Brightstar as an emerging mid-tier gold producer in Western Australia,” Alex Rovira stated. This integrated development pathway reflects the company’s positioning as it scales operations across its three primary hubs.