Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX:NVA, NASDAQ:NVA, OTC:NVAAF) has delivered its highest-grade gold intersection to date at the RPM Valley deposit, part of its its flagship Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project in Alaska, as closely spaced drilling confirms continuity across a broad mineralised system that remains open in multiple directions.
The standout result from the company’s 2025 infill and step-out program was a narrow but exceptionally high-grade intercept of 0.5 metres at 364 grams per tonne gold from 101 metres, with visible gold observed in core — the best result recorded across the broader Estelle project so far.
RPM Valley hole RPM-081 0.5m @ 364.0 g/t Au at 101m, with visible gold observed in the assayed core
That hit sits within a suite of long, consistent gold intercepts at RPM Valley, reinforcing Nova’s view that the deposit has both scale and internal grade variability capable of supporting a higher-confidence resource update as the company advances pre-feasibility studies.
Broad zones support resource confidence
Drilling returned multiple wide intersections grading above 1 g/t gold, with mineralisation extending well beyond current pit shells and continuing at depth.
Notable results included 65 metres at 3.6 g/t gold from 83 metres in hole RPM-081, which also hosted the ultra-high-grade interval, along with 155 metres at 0.9 g/t gold, 172 metres at 0.8 g/t, and 289 metres at 0.7 g/t across several other holes. Multiple intercepts exceeded 100 metres in length, underlining the consistency of the mineralised intrusive body.
RPM Valley RPM-081 (92 azi)
Nova said the closely spaced 2025 drilling was designed to lift confidence in the RPM Valley deposit and is expected to support a maiden Measured and Indicated mineral resource, forming part of the project’s ongoing pre-feasibility study.
RPM plan view with all drill holes to date – Black drill traces represent the 2025 drill holes
Chief executive Christopher Gerteisen said the results validated both grade and continuity.
The high-grade intersection “confirms the presence of discrete high-grade zones within a broader mineralised system, which remains wide open in multiple directions and at depth”, he said.
“The consistency of mineralisation over long intervals and across hundreds of metres reinforces our view that RPM Valley has the continuity and scale required to underpin a potentially significant mining operation, with additional upside to be assessed through further drilling.”
Open at depth and along strike
The 2025 program also tested the geological connection between RPM Valley and the adjacent RPM North deposit. While one hole missed the valley intrusion, another intersected mineralisation in both intrusive bodies, supporting Nova’s interpretation of a large, laterally extensive system.
Drilling to the south, southwest and at depth was constrained by difficult ground conditions and seasonal access limits, leaving several mineralised zones untested and open for follow-up work.
Nova noted that while high-grade zones at RPM Valley may not be as thick as those at RPM North, the overall mineralised intrusive appears larger, with mineralisation hosted in sheeted quartz and quartz-tourmaline veins containing arsenopyrite, pyrite, molybdenite and locally visible gold.
Early look at glacial till potential
Alongside core drilling, Nova completed a preliminary reverse-circulation program in glacial till using its in-house rig. While sample recovery was limited due to unconsolidated ground, one hole returned 33 metres at 0.3 g/t gold from surface, indicating a mineralised till layer at least 33 metres thick.
The till has been mapped over an area of roughly 1.7 kilometres by 200 metres and is considered a high-priority target. Nova believes the broken nature of the material could make it amenable to heap leaching, building on metallurgical test work that has already delivered gold recoveries of up to 68.7%.
Future work is expected to use alternative drilling methods to better define grade and thickness.
RPM glacial till RC drilling plan view
Studies and next steps
All assay results from the 2025 RPM program have now been received, clearing the way for an updated mineral resource estimate incorporating drilling from 2023 to 2025.
Pre-feasibility studies are progressing across metallurgy, mining and optimisation, while results from extensive surface sampling completed last year are still to come.
RPM Valley forms part of Nova’s flagship Estelle project in the Tintina Gold Belt, a region that hosts major operations such as Kinross Gold Corp.’s Fort Knox Gold Mine. With multiple near-term milestones ahead, Nova is positioning RPM as a core growth asset as it continues to expand the broader Estelle resource base.