Brightstar Resources Ltd. has signed an agreement with Aquirian Ltd. for drill and blast services at its Goldfields hub in Western Australia.
The scope of the agreement, which spans an initial five-year term, covers the supply of drilling and energetics services across Brightstar’s regional portfolio.
In addition to this, the company has awarded a three-year contract to Drillforce WA Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Aquirian, to oversee operations at the Lord Byron open pit mine, with activities slated to commence in the second half of 2026.
Brightstar’s Managing Director, Alex Rovira, said: “Aquirian’s vertically integrated business and patented technology provides a material value proposition for Brightstar, with a strong operational focus on ore preservation during the drill and blast sequence, which is anticipated to deliver material benefits to our open pit mining operations.”
An important technical advantage of the partnership is Drillforce’s proprietary technology, which includes the automated Collar Keeper System mounted on new Epiroc T45 rigs.
This integration, combined with the use of Western Australia’s largest independent energetics manufacturing facility, allows for highly controlled blasting practices.
By optimising fragmentation and minimising ore dilution, Brightstar expects to see improvements in dig productivity, reduced load and haul costs, and increased overall ore recovery.
In addition, the new processes are set to deliver environmental and safety gains. The removal of traditional PVC piping from blastholes will reduce direct costs and mitigate potential crusher downtime caused by blockages.
From a safety perspective, the automated nature of the drilling rigs minimises the time operators must spend outside the cabin in the active pit environment.
“Importantly, Aquirian’s emphasis on precision, data-driven execution and safety performance is expected to support improved blast performance, optimise material movement and contribute to disciplined cost control, which are key drivers of sustainable production and margin performance to maximise value across our operations,” Rovira said.
As Brightstar prepares for the Lord Byron commencement, the company continues to evaluate opportunities to expand the scale of the mine beyond its current definitive feasibility study parameters, signalling potential upside to the established production plan.
