Dark Star is part of its flagship Railroad project on the Carlin Trend and the drilling is part of a US$15.5 million 2017 programme.

CEO Jonathan Awde said the deposit continued to "surprise us to the upside".

He said the high-grade zone to the north was expanding beyond modelling, drilling confirmed Dark Star remained open to the east and west and "perhaps most intriguing" was evidence that higher grade oxide material may recur at deeper levels than previously thought.

The company is working on a resource update for Dark Star, which currently contains an indicated 15.38 million tonnes grading 0.54g/t gold for 265,100 ounces and an inferred 17Mt at 1.31g/t for 715,800oz, using a 0.2g/t cut-off.

Metallurgical results from Dark Star last month averaged 86.5% recoveries for oxide and 70% for partially oxidised transitional material.

The project hosts two other deposits, Pinion and North Bullion where a maiden resource in September established an indicated 2.92Mt resource at 0.96g/t for 90,100oz.

Gold Standard graduated from the TSX Venture Exchange last month to the TSX and its shares rose more than 16% yesterday to C$1.94 to capitalise it around $453 million.