East Star Resources (LSE:EST) announced it has passed 4,800 metres of diamond drilling at its Verkhuba copper deposit in Kazakhstan, while a separate drilling programme at the Rulikha copper project has completed its first five holes totalling 1,290 metres.
The London-listed exploration and development company is advancing both projects through partner-funded joint ventures that carry East Star to production at no further cost.
At Verkhuba, Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services has completed its Stage 1 investment obligations of A$1.5 million, and an initial 15% interest in the joint venture company, Verkhuba, has now been transferred to Xinhai; East Star is fully carried through to production, where it will retain a 30% interest in the producing mine.
The Verkhuba deposit carries a JORC Inferred Resource of 20.3 million tonnes grading 1.16% copper, 1.54% zinc and 0.27% lead, and the drilling, run across two rigs, is designed to support resource conversion, geological modelling, mine planning and feasibility work, with drilling set to continue for as long as weather permits.
East Star also completed approximately 9.5 line km of ground electromagnetic surveying at Verkhuba, identifying three conductors being modelled for potential drill testing, and has begun metallurgical test work on samples intended to improve recoveries and inform plant design.
At Rulikha, drilling is expected to continue to 3,000 metres, a threshold that will qualify joint venture partner Nova for an initial 10% stake in the project company; further drilling toward a JORC or KAZRC-compliant resource would qualify Nova for a 25% interest.
Under the binding Heads of Agreement signed with Nova on 1 September, Nova funds resource definition, feasibility studies, permitting, development and commissioning, with Orion Development acting as operator, and East Star's final stake is set at 25% under a default structure or 35% under an alternative cost-recovery arrangement.
Rulikha's November 2025 JORC-compliant exploration target has an upper limit of 23 million tonnes grading 2.4% copper equivalent, largely within an open pit, and management expects a fully winterised rig to keep drilling toward a maiden resource by the second quarter of 2027.
Read more about East Star Resources
- 06/10/26East Star starts drilling at Rulikha copper project
- 01/09/26East Star signs second copper JV to advance Rulikha
- 09/07/26East Star Resources begins drilling at Verkhuba copper deposit
"We expect the drilling already completed at Verkhuba will result in Indicated and potentially some Measured resources which will enable detailed mine planning for the initial few years of mining at least," said Alex Walker, chief executive of East Star, adding that a recent meeting with local authorities in Kazakhstan's East Region had been "very positive" on ecology, infrastructure and permitting support.
On Rulikha, Walker said he was "impressed by the speed and quality of the drilling operation" during a site visit, describing Nova as "another high-quality joint venture partner".
East Star is pursuing a parallel gold strategy in Kazakhstan through an earn-in joint venture with Endeavour Exploration, a subsidiary of Endeavour Mining and the company's largest shareholder, under which Endeavour can earn a 51% stake by funding $5 million of exploration spend over a two-year Stage 1 period that began in May.
A consultant resource geologist is being selected to advise on further resource-definition drilling at Rulikha once the initial 3,000-metre programme is complete.