British company East Star Resources Plc has reported the discovery of additional potential copper and gold reserves at the Verkh-Uba, Snezhnoye, and Talovskoye exploration sites in Kazakhstan, with Verkh-Uba identified as the most promising deposit.
“Recent exploration work has yielded encouraging results across both of our current operational areas. The findings at Verkh-Uba demonstrate that we are advancing this already significant copper asset while refining other targets, including Talovskoye, for near-term drilling. Additionally, the discovery of a large epithermal gold deposit at Snezhnoye, constrained by old artisanal gold workings, is undoubtedly exciting,” said East Star CEO Alex Walker.
East Star, which has been operating in Kazakhstan for over three years, expressed optimism that 2025 would mark significant progress in all three exploration projects.
As of February 4, the company completed drilling three boreholes at Verkh-Uba, each confirming copper deposits beyond previously explored areas. All 238 core samples have been sent to ALS in Karaganda for analysis, with results expected by the end of February. Furthermore, satellite data revealed a substantial gold-in-soil anomaly measuring four by one kilometer at the Snezhnoye site.
Drilling at Verkh-Uba commenced on November 12, 2024, and paused for the winter break on December 19, 2024. Based on analysis results, the company will determine whether to proceed with additional drilling in 2025 and assess the potential for substantial reserves. If viable, East Star may initiate open-pit mining operations.
Verkh-Uba remains the company’s most promising project, with a preliminary JORC-compliant resource estimate of 20.3 million tonnes containing 1.16% copper, 1.54% zinc, and 0.27% lead. East Star Resources is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker EST.
