The S&P/ASX Small Ordinaries Index (ASX: XSO) closed at 3,473.70, up 32.80 points or 0.95% for the session, while gaining 95 points or 2.81% over the past five days as investor sentiment towards emerging resource and technology plays remained firm.
Against the backdrop of broader strength in small-cap stocks, several ASX-listed companies have delivered operational updates this morning spanning gold exploration, critical minerals development, graphite processing, and solid-state battery technology.
NewPeak extends gold mineralisation at Tansey project
NewPeak Metals Ltd (ASX:NPM, OTC:NPMFF, FRA:NPM) has reported assay results from its maiden drilling program at the wholly owned Tansey Gold Project in southeast Queensland, confirming extensions to mineralisation beneath and adjacent to historic underground workings.
The company completed 4 diamond drill holes for a total 1,179 metres, targeting the South Burnett underground mine area, which last operated in the 1940s.
NewPeak said the program successfully demonstrated that the gold system extends both deeper and laterally along a known shear zone.
Key intercepts included:
- 43m at 0.75g/t gold from 157m, including 16m at 1.41g/t gold from 185m in hole SBD003;
- 41m at 0.68g/t gold from 229m, including 9m at 1.14g/t gold from 229m and 18m at 0.97g/t gold from 252m in hole SBD001; and
- 28m at 0.56g/t gold from 107m, including 10m at 0.81g/t gold from 124m in hole SBD004.
The results support the company’s objective of validating the continuity of mineralisation below historical workings.
Nova ramps up Estelle activity ahead of 2026 field season
Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX:NVA, NASDAQ:NVA, FRA:QM3) has provided an update on planned 2026 activities at its Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project in Alaska, where it is progressing towards a pre-feasibility study while advancing antimony development initiatives.
The company said pilot-scale antimony production remains on track for first production between late 2026 and early 2027.
Nova recently completed the delivery of about 1.5 million pounds of equipment and supplies to site, with helicopters, drill crews, geologists and construction teams now mobilised at the Estelle camp.
Preparations for the 2026 field season are advancing, with drilling expected to begin in coming weeks.
International Graphite secures permit for Collie facility works
International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6, FRA:H99, OTC:IGRPF) has received a Building Permit from the Shire of Collie, clearing the way for earthworks and civil construction to commence at its Collie Micronising Facility in Western Australia.
The permit represents the second of 6 milestones tied to the company’s $4.5 million grant under the Western Australian Government’s Collie Industrial Transition Fund.
Achievement of the milestone enables International Graphite to draw down the next tranche of grant funding as it advances development of the downstream graphite processing facility.
Critical Resources benchmarks solid-state electrolyte results
Critical Resources Ltd (ASX:CRR, FRA:9S70) has released a benchmark assessment of initial testing results from its non-sulphide Amorphous Solid-State Electrolyte (ASE) program against published peer-reviewed scientific literature.
Testing conducted at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology under the US National Science Foundation-supported Centre for Solid State Electric Power Storage framework returned ionic conductivity of 3.2 mS cm⁻¹ and activation energy of 0.27 eV.
The company said the values were measured using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy on cold-pressed electrolyte pellets and benchmarked against published scientific data to provide an externally referenced comparison framework.
Critical Resources is evaluating the technology as part of its broader solid-state battery materials strategy.