en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 12, Canada's Western Star Resources announced the launch of initial field exploration and drilling planning work at the Eagle Point tungsten project in the United States. The project is located in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and is currently still in the geological verification and drill target definition stage, with drilling operations not yet commenced. This round of field work is scheduled for completion in September 2026.
Western Star has commissioned Dahrouge Geological Consulting to carry out the exploration, with work scope including geological and structural mapping, trenching and grab sampling, verification of historical data, and on-site verification of proposed drill hole collar locations. Samples will be sent to ALS Laboratories in Tucson for testing; the technical team will also investigate the periphery of existing target areas to assess whether tungsten mineralization has potential for extension along strike or at depth.
Eagle Point comprises 24 vein mining claims located in the Granite Pass area of the Little Hatchet mining district. Historical records indicate that between 1943 and 1944, approximately 1,800 tonnes of scheelite-bearing material were mined from the project and shipped to the U.S. government's strategic stockpile facility in Deming, with settlement based on approximately 0.48% tungsten trioxide.
Subsequent sampling by the U.S. Geological Survey and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources showed that a scheelite-enriched outcrop composite sample, designated LH705, returned 27.6% tungsten trioxide and 0.98% molybdenum. However, this sample is a selective composite and does not represent the project's average grade. Two other outcrop composite samples from the same period returned 0.35% and 0.40% tungsten trioxide, respectively.
Historical data also document eight surface-exposed skarn ore bodies, but early drilling consisted only of a limited number of shallow holes concentrated near the main open pit. The project currently has no mineral resources compliant with NI 43-101 standards, and historical tonnage estimates are of low reliability and cannot be used as current resources.
Upon completion of field work, Western Star will integrate the results of mapping, structural measurements, sampling, and drill hole location verification to prioritize and revise target areas. Subsequent drilling remains subject to permitting, technical review, financing, and exploration results; this announcement does not imply that the project has entered the drilling or mine construction stage.
