Western Star Resources Reports Phase 1 Soil Sampling Results from Rowland Tungsten Property, Highlighting 0.14% WO3-in-Soil

Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) (FRA: 4K2) reported results of its Phase 1 soil-geochemistry program at the past-producing Rowland Tungsten Property in Elko County, Nevada, USA. The results confirmed a coherent, multi-element tungsten-skarn signature in soil over an approximately one-kilometre structural corridor, headlined by a peak of 1,425 parts per million (ppm) tungsten trioxide (WO3) in soil in the area of recently re-discovered historical workings. On the strength of these results, the company is mobilising an expanded soil program to commence shortly.

Highlights from Phase 1 soil geochemistry include an exceptional peak tungsten-in-soil of 0.14% WO3 (1,130 ppm W) returned directly over a recently re-discovered zone of historical workings. Soils over the main historical workings at Rowland Main returned up to 517 ppm and 504 ppm WO3. The strongest soil anomalies sit on magnetic gradients (lithological/structural contacts) imaged by the company’s UAV magnetic survey, confirming that soils coincide with interpreted skarn contacts. Anomalous geochemistry coincident with magnetic gradients will be used to map the prospective skarn horizon to establish a new search space for the expanded soil program.

Tungsten is accompanied by coincident diagnostic W-Cu-Mo-Bi(-Be) skarn metals, including copper up to 1,185 ppm, molybdenum up to 35 ppm, bismuth up to 5.2 ppm, and beryllium up to 4.56 ppm. The targeting model has been validated, and the program is expanding immediately. Anomalous soil over both the historical workings and Rowland Main confirms soil geochemistry as an effective, low-cost vector to prospective skarn-contact zones, and an expanded multi-stage soil campaign will begin shortly to grow these zones toward drill-target definition.

Blake Morgan, President and CEO of Western Star, commented: “As far as we are aware, this is the first ever soil geochemistry survey completed by a public company at Rowland, and returning a high value result of 0.14% WO3 is an excellent start. The anomalous soil results provide a baseline to interpret the expanded soil results once they arrive. Crucially, the soils line up with the contacts our UAV magnetics are mapping, which is the strongest possible vector for where to look next. Expanding the soil program immediately to extend the known zones around Rowland Main and the historical workings, and then into untested ground where an entirely new discovery could be made is an important step in converting these anomalies into ranked drill targets.”

The Phase 1 soil grid comprised 93 soil samples at nominal 25 m spacing over the central Rowland workings corridor. Given the property has never been systematically explored in the way Western Star operates, it was important to undertake an orientation sampling program to ensure the main phase of exploration is correctly designed. The encouraging results have shown tungsten is strongly and discretely anomalous against the baseline background values (determined to be approximately 2 ppm WO3). Multiple samples exceed 10 ppm, five above 50 ppm, and three above 100 ppm W. The anomalous samples are interpreted to reflect a tungsten-skarn system developed along a carbonate–intrusive contact with potentially mineralised NE-SW structures. The peak value (1,425 ppm WO3 at X-3) is in the central zone, while a second strong cluster (up to 517 ppm WO3) overlies the Rowland Main workings to the south.

Rowland is interpreted as a reduced tungsten (W-Cu-Mo-Bi) skarn, in which tungsten-bearing fluids exsolved from a Cretaceous granite reacted with Ordovician–Cambrian limestone (unit OCtd) to deposit scheelite-bearing skarn at and near the intrusive contact. The Phase 1 soils sit directly on this carbonate host, and the strongest anomalies fall on magnetic gradients (geological and structural contacts as imaged by the company’s UAV magnetic survey). The coincidence of high-grade, polymetallic-metal soils with these interpreted contacts over an approximately one-kilometre area is a powerful exploration vector.

Western Star is mobilising an expanded soil-sampling program, to commence imminently, designed to trace the prospective skarn contacts outward from the known workings and potential mineralisation controlling faults. Results from the expanded program will be integrated with the UAV magnetic survey and field mapping to generate and prioritise drill targets for a maiden drill program at Rowland.

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jasper Mowatt, MIMMM (Membership No. 0486653) and MAusIMM (Membership No. 3178851), a consultant to the company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.