---
title: "East Star Resources has commenced drilling at its Rulikha Copper Project in Kazakhstan"
publisher: "Share Talk"
author: "sharetalk"
published: "2026-10-06T14:35:00+00:00"
modified: "2026-10-06T14:36:07+00:00"
date: 2026-10-06
canonical: "https://www.share-talk.com/east-star-resources-has-commenced-drilling-at-its-rulikha-copper-project-in-kazakhstan/"
category: "Mining"
categories: ["Mining"]
tags: ["Alex Walker", "East Star Resources", "East Star Resources Plc", "EST", "Kazakhstan", "Licence 3631", "Rulikha Copper Project", "Verkhuba Copper Deposit"]
image: "https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/404e9aa9-77ce-475d-b686-575ebd2b21ec.jpg?fit=1727%2C911&quality=89&ssl=1"
format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# East Star Resources has commenced drilling at its Rulikha Copper Project in Kazakhstan

**Published:** October 6, 2026
**Author:** sharetalk
**Categories:** Mining
**Tags:** Alex Walker, East Star Resources, East Star Resources Plc, EST, Kazakhstan, Licence 3631, Rulikha Copper Project, Verkhuba Copper Deposit
**Featured image:** ![](https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/404e9aa9-77ce-475d-b686-575ebd2b21ec.jpg?fit=1727%2C911&quality=89&ssl=1)

---

[East Star Resources Plc (LON: EST)](https://eaststarplc.com/) has commenced drilling at its **Rulikha Copper Project in Kazakhstan** after receiving all required approvals for Licence 3631.

A drilling contract has been executed, and the rig has been mobilised to site, with operations beginning on **5 October 2026**.

The initial programme is expected to comprise **five drill holes across two target areas for approximately 1,500 metres**.

The drilling is designed primarily to **verify historically logged copper mineralisation** and support the joint venture’s objective of converting the historical exploration target into a defined mineral resource.

Importantly for East Star shareholders, the programme is being undertaken **at no cost to East Star**.

The company signed a binding Heads of Agreement with Kazakh partner **Nova Ltd** on 1 September under which Nova will farm into Rulikha and fund the project through development and into production.

Under those terms, East Star says it is **fully carried to production**, at which point it would retain between **25% and 35% of the producing mine**.

That structure potentially gives East Star exposure to future project development without requiring it to fund the large capital commitments normally associated with advancing a copper discovery through drilling, resource definition and mine development.

Chief executive **Alex Walker** said the current drilling is focused on Target Areas 1 and 2, which contain the majority of the historical exploration target identified from earlier drill logs.

For investors, the immediate catalyst is now the **drilling itself rather than permitting**, with the programme having moved from planning into field execution.

However, the current holes are intended to confirm and validate historical geological information. They do not yet represent a completed Mineral Resource Estimate, and the scale and grade of any economic mineralisation will depend on the new drilling results.

The next key milestones are therefore **completion of the approximately 1,500-metre programme, assay results and evidence that the historical mineralisation can be converted into a formal resource capable of supporting further project development**.

The combination of active drilling and a **fully funded farm-in structure** materially reduces East Star’s direct financing exposure, while leaving the company with a potentially significant minority interest should Rulikha ultimately advance to production.

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