Nova Minerals Kicks Off Antimony Drilling at Stibium
sources, we believe that Nova is well-positioned to help re-establish Alaska as a strategic supplier of antimony to the United States, which, if successful, could enhance national security and reinforce supply chain resilience.” The work being carried out at Stibium is part of a larger 15,000-meter drill program slated for this year at Estelle, which will also include resource upgrade and expansion drilling at the RPM and Korbel gold deposits. According to a calculation completed early last year, the Korbel and RPM host 244 million metric tons of S-K 1300-compliant measured and indicated resources averaging 0.3 grams per metric ton (2.72 million ounces) gold, plus 231 million metric tons of inferred resource averaging 0.3 g/t (2.45 million oz) gold. While Nova has provided an outline of its 2025 program, its drilling program is flexible and can be adjusted to follow up on encouraging mineralization observed in drill core. The company also plans to scale up the program should it secure DOD funding for accelerating the development of Stibium and other high-grade antimony targets identified at Estelle.
n Development of a state-of-the-art antimony metallurgical processing hub at Port Mackenzie, an early-stage industrial development area near Anchorage. n Engagement with potential antimony offtake partners. n The addition of a world-leading antimony refining expert to the Nova team. Used in ammunition, car batteries, fireproofing compounds, high-tech devices, specialty glass and other products for both civilian and military use, antimony is high on the DOD’s list of critical and strategic minerals. The urgency to establish secure domestic supplies of this metalloid – an element with both metal and non- metal properties – was elevated with China’s ban on the exports of antimony to the U.S. Given China’s near-complete control over antimony processing, DOD has expressed interest in backing the mining and refining of this critical metalloid in Alaska. “Nova is well advanced in identifying a potential U.S.- based metallurgical refining site, and with potential DOD funding, has the ability to rapidly expand drilling capacity at site,” said Gerteisen. “Through our Estelle project and potential partnerships with other regional
Nova Minerals Ltd. June 11 announced that it has begun inaugural drilling at the high-grade Stibium gold-antimony target on the company’s Estelle project in the West Susitna Mineral District, approximately 100 miles northwest of Anchorage. “We’re excited to commence the first-ever drilling at our Stibium antimony-gold prospect –an important milestone that complements our continued focus on advancing our Tier-1 gold and antimony assets across the broader Estelle Project,” said Nova Minerals CEO Christopher Gerteisen. Located about two miles (three kilometers) west of the Whiskey Bravo camp that supports exploration at Estelle, Stibium is an antimony-gold target discovered during a property-wide reconnaissance program carried out in 2023. This discovery was followed up with a 2024 mapping and sampling program that outlined a 400-by-800-meter target area at Stibium. Highlights from the 80 rock and 180 soil samples collected at Stibium last year include: n 12 rock samples with greater than 30% antimony, including one sample with 60.5% antimony.
n 16 rock samples with greater than 5 grams per metric ton gold, including one sample with 141 g/t gold. n 10 soil samples with greater than 0.1% antimony, with the best sample grading 2.8% antimony. n 35 soil samples with greater than 1 g/t gold, with the best sample grading 25.6 g/t gold. “Despite highly encouraging surface sampling results collected by our geological team over the past two years, which suggest the presence of a potentially large and high-grade gold-antimony system, Stibium remains untested at depth,” said Gerteisen. The company is tracing the surfacing high-grade mineralization to depth with an initial 3,000 meters of reverse circulation drilling designed to establish an inaugural resource estimate for Stibium. At the same time, Nova is awaiting approval of an application for a U.S. Department of Defense grant to fund: n A larger 2025 program at Stibium that would include diamond drilling.
— North of 60 Mining News
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