Brightstar Resources has secured approval from Western Australia’s (WA) Department of Mines, Petroleum and Exploration (DMPE) for the mining development and closure proposal concerning the Lady Shenton open pit.
The asset is part of the Menzies gold project within the Goldfields Hub.
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The Menzies gold project is located around the town of Menzies, approximately 130km north of Kalgoorlie, within the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt.
The site is accessible via the Goldfields Highway and a network of well-maintained exploration tracks. The Menzies Hub contains mineral resources amounting to 589,000oz and plays a crucial role in Brightstar’s near-to-medium-term production strategy.
The Lady Shenton System and Link Zone have seen significant mineral resource estimate upgrades, with a definitive feasibility study (DFS) under way to assess open-pit development, potentially in partnership with a Kalgoorlie mill.
For Brightstar Resources, the approval from the DMPE marks a major milestone as it prepares to commence mining operations at the site. The Lady Shenton deposit has been deemed ‘mine ready’ following the approval of the Native Vegetation Clearing Permit (NVCP).
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By GlobalDataWith a resource estimate of 352,000oz at 1.4 grams per tonne (g/t) gold, the open-pit deposit is set to be mined and transported to Brightstar Resources’ proposed carbon-in-leach processing plant in Laverton.
The updated DFS (DFS2.0) will incorporate revised mine plans for both the Yunndaga Underground and Lady Shenton projects.
Brightstar Resources managing Director Alex Rovira said: “We are pleased to receive approval for the Mining Development and Closure Proposal for the open-pit development of the Lady Shenton mine in Menzies. This signifies a key milestone for the development of our Menzies assets, which, once in operation, will represent the first mining to occur since the successful Selkirk mining JV [joint venture] in 2024.
“Lady Shenton is now ‘mine ready’ and represents a low-capex, high-margin deposit for Brightstar that complements the broader Goldfields Hub development. We look forward to releasing the updated DFS2.0 and providing a development update and timeline for the Menzies and Laverton gold projects this quarter.”
The company is said to be strategically positioned as an unhedged gold producer in a favourable gold price environment, with plans to develop both the Goldfields and Sandstone projects.
It aims to become a multi-asset, mid-tier gold producer in WA, leveraging its substantial mineral resources, which exceed four million ounces across granted mining leases.
In November 2025, Brightstar Resources obtained approval from the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the shareholders of Aurumin to acquire all fully paid ordinary shares and options in the gold exploration company.
The transaction, carried out through a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Part 5.1 of the Corporations Act 2001, resulted in Aurumin shareholders receiving new Brightstar Resources options following the cancellation of all existing Aurumin options.
Following the court’s approval, Aurumin filed a copy of the court orders with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission on 21 November 2025, which rendered the schemes legally effective.
