Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) (FRA: 4K2) announced on October 27, 2026, that it has submitted a 43 CFR 3809 Exploration Notice to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District Office for its Eagle Point Tungsten Project in Hidalgo County, New Mexico. The notice, prepared by KC Harvey Environmental, LLC, covers a planned 17-hole HQ core drilling program from 12 drill pads, along with approximately 0.56 mile of temporary connector roads and one laydown area, for a total of 1.71 acres of surface disturbance on BLM-administered and private land. The submission marks a critical step toward what the company believes will be the first drilling at Eagle Point in more than 70 years.
The drill program is designed to test steeply dipping skarn contacts along a granite contact, with targets refined using results from the company's 2026 surface mapping and sampling program. Planned hole depths range from 164 to 820 feet, totaling approximately 6,000 feet. Eight of the 12 drill pads, the laydown area, and most of the connector roads are on private surface, accounting for about 1.35 acres of disturbance, while the remaining four pads and roughly 565 feet of connector road are on BLM-administered land, covering about 0.36 acres. The project area is accessed via approximately 3.3 miles of existing roads from U.S. Highway 81, which will be used without upgrades.
Blake Morgan, CEO and President of Western Star, stated, "Filing our Exploration Notice moves Eagle Point from field mapping and exploration, to only weeks away drilling. Our 2026 surface work gave us clear targets along the granite contact, and this program is designed to test them beneath surface exposures and talus cover. We appreciate the work of KC Harvey Environmental in preparing the submission and look forward to working with the BLM as we advance a domestic tungsten project at a time when secure U.S. supply has become a national priority." The announcement underscores the strategic importance of tungsten, a critical mineral used in defense, aerospace, and industrial applications, as the United States seeks to reduce reliance on foreign sources.
The notice describes an operating period from December 2026 through December 2027. Before drilling begins, Western Star must submit a Minimal Impact Exploration Operation permit application to the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division, well and plugging filings to the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, and post a reclamation financial guarantee anticipated to be held jointly by the BLM and the Mining and Minerals Division. The company will also provide supplemental vegetation documentation and results of a cultural resources file search and site inventory. In parallel, Western Star is tendering drilling contractors, setting up field logistics, and finalizing collar locations using its Leapfrog Geo model. The program incorporates environmental safeguards, including a closed-loop centrifuge system for water-based drilling fluids, no in-ground sumps, and concurrent reclamation of all new disturbance.
The project layout, showing the 17 proposed drill hole locations (EP26-001 to EP26-017) on 12 drill pads, temporary connector roads, laydown area LD-1, and the existing access road, is available in a project layout figure. The news was disseminated via NEWMEDIAWIRE. No Mineral Resource has been established at Eagle Point, and the scientific and technical information has been reviewed by Jacob Anderson, CPG, an independent Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.
