Western Star Resources Inc. (CSE: WSR) (OTC: WSRIF) (FRA: 4K2) has taken a decisive step toward resuming exploration at its Eagle Point Tungsten Project in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, submitting a 43 CFR 3809 Exploration Notice to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District Office on October 22, 2026. The notice, prepared by KC Harvey Environmental, LLC, covers a planned 17-hole HQ core drilling program from 12 drill pads, approximately 0.56 mile of temporary connector roads, and one laydown area, totaling 1.71 acres of surface disturbance on BLM-administered and private land. The filing matters because it positions the company to conduct what it believes will be the first drilling at Eagle Point in more than 70 years, a milestone that could confirm the project's tungsten potential at a time when secure domestic supply of the critical mineral has become a national priority.
The drill program is designed to test the steeply dipping skarn contact along the granite, with hole depths ranging from 164 to 820 feet and a total of approximately 6,000 feet. Targets were refined using results from the company's 2026 surface mapping and sampling program. "Filing our Exploration Notice moves Eagle Point from field mapping and exploration, to only weeks away drilling," said Blake Morgan, CEO and President of Western Star. "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." The project layout, including 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 detailed in a project layout figure.
The notice outlines a small footprint, with eight of the 12 drill pads, the laydown area, and most connector roads on private surface, accounting for about 1.35 acres, while the remaining four pads and roughly 565 feet of connector road are on BLM land, covering about 0.36 acres. All new disturbance will be reclaimed concurrently. The company has a surface use agreement with the private surface owner for road access and all proposed activities on private land. Access is via approximately 3.3 miles of existing roads from U.S. Highway 81, requiring no upgrades. Drilling will use a water-based fluid recirculated through a closed-loop centrifuge system, eliminating the need for in-ground sumps or mud pits. Water will be purchased commercially and trucked to site, with no on-site well or surface water diversion. Each hole will be plugged and abandoned upon completion, and disturbed areas will be recontoured, topsoiled, and seeded.
The operating period described in the notice runs from December 2026 through December 2027. Before drilling, Western Star must submit a Minimal Impact Exploration Operation permit application to the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division and 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. No Mineral Resource has been established at Eagle Point. The technical information has been reviewed and approved by Jacob Anderson, CPG, an independent Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.
The submission underscores Western Star's strategic focus on tungsten and critical minerals in the United States, where it is advancing a portfolio of past-producing tungsten assets in Nevada and New Mexico. With the notice filed, the company is moving closer to testing a domestic tungsten source that could contribute to U.S. supply security, a factor that has gained national importance as demand for critical minerals rises.
