Diablo Resources (ASX:DBO) has moved to expand its foothold in the United States’ emerging critical minerals sector, announcing a strategic land acquisition that increases the footprint of its Star Range Project in Utah to roughly 5,242 acres (21.2 square kilometres).
The company has secured a new lease from the Utah Trust Lands Administration (TLA) covering 646.5 acres adjoining the high-priority South Star Prospect.
The addition strengthens the project’s scale potential and extends the mineralised trend across a high-grade silver-antimony system.
The newly acquired ground covers the south-eastern extension of the geological sequence hosting the South Star mineralised trend.
Previous exploration in this area defined a significant silver-antimony soil anomaly more than one kilometre long, supported by rock samples that returned exceptional grades, including 8,760 g/t silver and >1 per cent antimony, 1,609 g/t silver and 4.82 g/t gold, and 231 g/t silver with 0.1 per cent antimony.
Historic mine workings and structural features within the new lease exhibit orientations consistent with the known mineralised zones, offering immediate targets for follow-up fieldwork.
Located approximately six kilometres west of Milford in Beaver County, Utah, the Star Range Project sits within a historically productive mining district that once hosted the Horn Silver Mine — one of the largest silver producers in the United States.
The area is well served by key infrastructure, including sealed road access, nearby power and gas pipelines, and the Union Pacific railway, which passes directly through Milford.
Diablo Resources Chief Executive Officer Lyle Thorne said the acquisition was an important step in consolidating ownership of the district’s most prospective ground.
“The increase in project size at Star Range via the addition of Utah TLA lease Section 32 consolidates our tenure over similar geology to that seen at South Star,” said Thorne.
“The Trust Lands Administration (TLA), formerly known as SITLA, is an independent state agency that holds stewardship over Utah’s 3.3 million acres of school trust lands used to generate revenue for public schools and institutions.
“We look forward to working with the TLA as exploration progresses at Star Range.
“The Star Range Project is shaping to be an exciting project, and we plan to take advantage of the US government’s and the State of Utah’s desire to secure domestic critical mineral supplies by striving for exploration success through continued exploration by our experienced US-team.”
Field activities, including detailed geological mapping and geochemical sampling, have commenced across the new ground as part of Diablo’s ongoing exploration efforts.
In addition, Diablo Resources has recently completed an Induced Polarisation (IP) geophysical survey over the STAR‑01 anomaly at the North Star Prospect, with results now being processed.
Data from the survey will be combined with other exploration datasets to define final drill targets for the company’s maiden drilling program, scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
Located within a structurally controlled Basin and Range setting known for carbonate replacement, breccia vein and skarn-type mineralisation, the Star Range Project underpins Diablo’s strategy to build a US‑based critical minerals portfolio.
The company said it continues to evaluate additional growth opportunities across the country as demand intensifies for domestic sources of strategic metals essential to clean energy technologies.
