Nova Minerals Ltd (ASX:NVA, NASDAQ:NVA, FRA:QM3) has mobilised teams for its fully funded 2026 field season at the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project in Alaska, with military-grade antimony trisulfide samples nearing completion and a 10,000-metre drill program set to begin.
The program will be one of the company’s largest field and development campaigns to date, targeting gold resource growth at RPM while advancing the Stibium and Styx antimony prospects toward production and resource delineation.
Estelle Project map highlighting identified gold and antimony prospects, together with targets for the 2026 drilling and exploration program.
Nova has more than A$85 million available through cash and US Department of War award funding, providing flexibility to accelerate work as required.
The company’s first lab-scale antimony metal and military-grade antimony trisulfide samples, produced from Estelle ore, are in the final stages of preparation, with assay results expected shortly.
Chief executive officer Christopher Gerteisen said the program represented a major step forward for Estelle.
“We are excited to commence the 2026 field season, which is expected to represent a major advancement for the Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project. The program includes one of the largest drill campaigns undertaken at Estelle to date, targeting both gold resource expansion and antimony development opportunities. Ongoing drilling and technical work will continue to support resource growth and advancement of the Project’s PFS studies.
“Concurrently, the fully funded antimony initiative, supported by a US$43.4 million US Department of War award, positions Nova to advance toward near-term production and establish a vertically integrated domestic antimony supply chain. I can report we have already produced antimony metal and military-grade antimony trisulfide at the lab scale from Estelle stibnite ores which is now being assayed and certified. As an early mover in the U.S. critical minerals sector, Nova is now entering a key execution phase focused on developing antimony production alongside the continued advancement of its large-scale gold development assets, with the objective of generating long-term shareholder value.”
He said Nova had already produced antimony metal and military-grade antimony trisulfide at lab scale from Estelle stibnite ores, with certification work underway.
What’s next at Estelle
Nova plans to deploy up to three diamond core rigs across Estelle, with the 2026 drill program focused on RPM and Stibium.
At RPM, about 7,000 metres of drilling is planned to test extensions at RPM North, increase measured and indicated resource confidence at RPM Valley, and assess near-deposit targets along the ridgeline north of RPM North.
A further 3,000 metres of targeted drilling is scheduled at Stibium, where Nova will focus on exposed stibnite antimony vein systems. A new drill pad is also planned to provide more direct access to the target zone.
At Styx, Nova intends to continue extracting stibnite ore from an exposed vein for upgrading at the Whiskey Bravo ore sorting facility before transport to Port Mackenzie for downstream antimony processing and refining.
Processing plant equipment for the Port Mackenzie antimony refinery is on order and expected to be shipped in the coming months. Nova is also progressing construction of site infrastructure, including the Stibium access trail, airstrip expansion and onsite crushing and ore sorting facilities.
The company is targeting pilot-scale antimony production in late 2026 to early 2027, while continuing PFS-level engineering, metallurgy, environmental baseline work and infrastructure studies for the broader Estelle development.