Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) has released results from a high-resolution UAV magnetic geophysical survey at its White Star Tungsten Project in Elko County, Nevada. The survey, the first modern geophysical dataset acquired over the property, identified a broad magnetic high interpreted as a previously unmapped extension of the intrusive granite associated with tungsten-bearing skarn mineralization, along with multiple magnetic lineaments representing fault and fracture zones that may have acted as fluid pathways.
The survey was designed to acquire high-resolution magnetic data over known historical workings, identify additional prospective targets, and improve understanding of structural controls on mineralization. Processed products include Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI), First Vertical Derivative (1VD), Second Vertical Derivative (2VD), and Analytical Signal (AS). The historical Batholith mine and adit lie along a northwest-southeast-trending magnetic lineament within a subtle magnetic low, and several comparable features were identified elsewhere on the property.
A key finding is a broad magnetic high in the western portion of the property, which the company’s technical team believes represents an extension of the quartz monzonite intrusion. This interpreted intrusive body sits adjacent to mapped carbonate units, defining a newly identified area prospective for contact skarn-hosted tungsten mineralization. CEO Blake Morgan stated, “The interpreted intrusive body identified in the high-resolution magnetic data has generated a significant new area of interest, where the contact between the granite and surrounding carbonate rocks may provide a favourable setting for tungsten skarn mineralisation.”
Four target zones have been defined for follow-up. The highest priority is the central Kqm–Pzt contact immediately north of the Batholith Mine, a direct on-strike extension of the mineralized contact. The northern Pzt body within the northern Kqm features a mapped tactite window cut by a NW-trending magnetic lineament. The southern limestone corridor hosts multiple small limestone bodies with discrete magnetic features analogous to those at the Batholith Mine. The historical open pit area, though covered by Quaternary deposits, shows coherent magnetic character suggesting continuation of prospective geology beneath cover.
Prior to this survey, the only publicly available geophysical data was collected in 1967 at 1-mile line spacing. The new high-resolution dataset allows refinement of the geological model originally based on the 1964 USGS Jarbidge map. The survey was flown to the same specifications as the recently completed Rowland UAV magnetic survey, enabling the two datasets to be processed as a single contiguous district-scale magnetic product covering the consolidated Jarbidge–Charleston tungsten footprint. This combined dataset is undergoing geophysical inversion and will support integrated targeting between the White Star workings and the adjoining Rowland Tungsten Property.
The geophysical results will be integrated with pending rock-chip and soil geochemistry to guide follow-up exploration and refine potential drill targets. The company views this as a critical step toward revitalizing domestic tungsten supply, as the United States seeks secure sources of critical minerals. The White Star project is part of Western Star’s strategy to advance past-producing tungsten assets in historically important mining districts.
For more information, visit www.westernstarresources.com.
