Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report – 30 September 2024

NOVA MINERALS LIMITED
NOVA MINERALS LIMITED

In This Article:

Nova completes US NASDAQ Listing and Completes 2024 Estelle Drilling and Surface Exploration Programs with Results Incoming

Caufield, Australia, Oct. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nova Minerals Limited (“Nova” and the “Company”) (Nasdaq NVA) (ASX: NVA), (FRA: QM3)), a gold and critical minerals exploration stage company focused on advancing the Estelle Gold Project in Alaska, U.S.A.

Highlights

Estelle Gold Project

During the quarter Nova commenced and completed its 2024 Estelle drilling and surface exploration programs, with initial results received back from the laboratory in early October and more incoming.

 

 

 

High-Grade Gold Continues at RPM:

 

 

 

 

The 2024 drill program, which comprised of 21 holes and used the Company owned Reverse Circulation (RC) rig to keep costs to a minimum, was a highly targeted program focused on Pre-Feasibility stage drilling at the high-grade RPM deposit to continue to increase and prove-up resources to the higher confidence Measured and Indicated categories. The majority of the shallow drilling was allocated to advance the high-grade RPM starter pit area (Figure 10) and to further delineate the at-surface, high-grade (1 g/t Au to > 5 g/t Au) zone encountered there during the 2022-2023 drilling, while upgrading inferred resources and testing for potential near surface extensions of the high-grade gold system to the south and west (Figures 1 to 3).

 

 

 

 

 

Initial results received in early October for the first 8 holes confirmed continuity of the near surface high-grade mineralization at RPM North with multiple broad intersections grading > 5 g/t Au from surface and sample interval grades up to 39 g/t Au. All holes ended in mineralization with highlight results including (ASX Announcement: 9 October 2024 and Figures 4 to 6):

 

 

 

 

 

?

RPMRC-24005: 43m @ 4.4 g/t Au from 2m, including 13m @ 10.7 g/t Au from 2m and 2m @ 39.2 g/t Au from 13m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

?

RPMRC-24008: 45m @ 3.4 g/t Au from surface, including 131m @ 4.7 g/t Au from 3m and 8m @ 10.5 g/t Au from 22m.

 

 

 

 

 

Extensive surface exploration sampling program was conducted around the wider RPM area to potentially extend existing and delineate additional high-grade mineralized zones, with results expected back in October.


Antimony Discoveries Advanced:


 

Stibium:


 

 

Extensive surface exploration sampling program conducted at Stibium to follow up on the high-grade up to 60.5% Sb (Antimony) discovered in 2023 (ASX Announcement: 10 October 2023) with results expected back in October. Massive stibnite, the primary ore mineral for antimony containing approximately 72% Sb, observed to be widespread in surface mapping and sampling at Stibium.

 

 

 

 

 

2,500kg bulk sample of a >2m wide quartz breccia vein ,where sample E408569 from 2023 returned 12.7 g/t Au and 2.1% Sb (Antimony) (ASX Announcement: 10 October 2023 and Figure 7), collected at Stibium for metallurgical test work.

 

 

 

 

 

Styx:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extensive surface exploration sampling program conducted at Syx to follow up on the high-grade up to 21.7% Sb (Antimony) discovered in 2023 (ASX Announcement: 10 October 2023) with results expected back in October. Large vein (~1m thick) containing massive stibnite (~20%) in outcrop discovered at Styx (Figure 8).

 

 

 

 

 

 

500kg bulk sample of potential antimonious material containing stibnite collected from Styx for metallurgical test work.

 

 

 

 

 

Test work to develop a process flow sheet and plant design in anticipation of a fast track standalone antimony production scenario at Stibium.

 

 

 

 

 

Nova has submitted a proposal to the US Dept. Of Defense (DoD) for potential grant funding to fast track Estelle’s antimony production.

 

 

 

 

 

Nova CEO Christopher Gerteisen, at the invitation of the US Dept. of Defense (DoD), attended another DoD related conference in September to discuss Estelle’s near-term antimony production potential and illustrate how Nova could potentially help the US establish and fully secure domestic critical minerals supply chains.

 

 

 

 

Another Extensive Surface Sampling Exploration Program Completed in 2024:

 

 

 

 

 

Over 500 soil and 225 rock samples collected as part of the extensive 2024 surface exploration and mapping program targeting gold, antimony and other critical minerals from traverses at Stibium, Wombat, West Wing, Muddy Creek, RPM, Styx, and the new claims added in 2023. Assay results, which will be reported by area once received and processed, are expected back in October and November.

 

 

 

 

Estelle Staged Development Optionality:

 

 

 

 

 

Estelle is a major mineralized trend, hosting gold, antimony, silver, copper, and other critical elements and Nova is working to begin production as early as possible with the potential to operate for decades supplying the minerals the world needs.

 

 

 

 

 

The Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) currently underway is considering a strategy to achieve production as soon as possible with a scalable operation, subject to market conditions and strategic partners (Figure 9), by;


 

1.

Establishing an initial lower capex smaller scale operation at the high-grade RPM deposit for potential near term cashflow at high margins to self-fund expansion plans; and/or


 

2.

Develop the higher capex larger mining operation with increased gold production, cash flow, and mine life, which is of interest to potential future large gold company strategic partners.


 

3.

With China announcing export restrictions on antimony, the Company is also investigating the possibility to fast track the Stibium gold-antimony prospect development option with potential US Dept. of Defense (DoD) support.


 

Environmental studies progressing and Lidar survey completed for detailed technical studies, infrastructure, and access road design.

Snow Lake Lithium

Snow Lake Lithium, in which the Company owns a 23.75% share, provided an update on the exploration programs it is currently undertaking at its Black Lake and Engo Valley uranium projects, and also at its Shatford Lake lithium project.

Corporate

Nova continues to hold circa $9.4m in cash and liquid investments, including $6.1m in the bank and valuable positions in both Snow Lake Lithium Ltd and Asra Minerals Limited, at the end of the quarter.

 

 

During the quarter, the Company completed its US NASDAQ listing with an associated approximate US$3.3m capital raising before costs, with the ADSs trading under the ticker symbol NVA and the Company’s warrants trading under the ticker code NVAWW.

 

 

The Company also subsequently raised a further US$2.4m before costs in late September for resource and exploration field programs, including additional drilling and exploration, feasibility studies to progress the RPM starter mine option, and general working capital.

 

 

Richard Beazley, an internationally experienced mining professional and director with over 35 years of experience in senior corporate, operational and project development roles, was formally appointed as Non-Executive Chairman in July.

 

 

In return for Nebari’s support in reducing the month end cash covenant from USD$2m to AUD$1m and providing Nova with the option to extend the convertible facility for an additional 12 months to 29 November 2026, Nova has agreed, subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming AGM, to amend the conversion price of the convertible note from A$0.53 to A$0.25.

 

 

At the end of September Nova announced its 2024 annual and sustainability reports.

 

 

Effective from 1 October 2024 the Company has agreed to increase Craig Bentley’s monthly directors fee by $6,667. The increase reflects the significant extra work required now that Nova is also listed in the US, and also takes into account the additional roles Craig has been undertaking for marketing, website development, etc, which has saved the Company thousands of dollars each month in external contractor payments.

 

 

The Company subsequently announced that its Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held virtually at 10am (AEDT) on Thursday, 14 November 2024.

 

 

Notable investing and operating cash flow items during the quarter included: Exploration and evaluation costs of $1.5m principally related to the 2024 drilling and surface exploration program, $742k for audit, tax and legal fees, the majority of which were related to the Company’s US NASDAQ listing, and $240k for other US listing related costs, including NASDAQ fees.

 

 

Payments to related parties in Q1 FY25 were $218K and included CEO and Executive remuneration and non-executive director fees.

Next Steps

Remaining drill results for 13 holes and other exploration activity from the 2024 field program

Updates on potential critical minerals grant and funding options from the US Department of Defense and US Department of Energy

Material PFS test work results and trade-off studies as they become available

Updated global MRE including the drilling undertaken in both 2023 and 2024

Metallurgical test work ongoing

Environmental test work ongoing

West Susitna Access Road updates

2024 Drill Program - Target Zones


Figure 1. RPM North Section A-A’ 1950mE looking West showing existing drill traces and selected results, and the 2024 drill target zone – Left image: Block model (Au Grade), Right image: Block model (Resource classification).
  


Figure 2. RPM North Section B-B’ 1975mE looking West showing existing drill traces and selected results, and the 2024 drill target zone – Left image: Block model (Au Grade), Right image: Block model (Resource classification).