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Anchorage Alaska, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nova Minerals Limited (“Nova” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: NVA) (ASX: NVA) (FRA: QM3) ) is pleased to announce final results from its 2024 exploration season with 20 rock samples grading > 1 g/t Au, including a high of 52.3 g/t Au, 11 soil samples > 0.
5 g/t Au, including a high of 4.8 g/t Au, and 34 till samples > 1.0 g/t Au, including a high of 3.
6 g/t Au from the wider RPM regional area at the Company’s over 500km2 flagship Estelle Gold and Critical Minerals Project located in the Tintina Gold Belt in Alaska. Highlights Nova Head of Exploration, Mr Hans Hoffman commented: “While it may be more typical of geologists to sample glacial till in the hope of vectoring towards an ore deposit, here at RPM the ore deposit may have vectored us towards the glacial till. We can see the deposit being actively eroded by a small pocket glacier, and our till sampling program this year has revealed a portion of RPM spread along the hillside and down the valley below.
While I love speculating how many ounces may be contained in one specific debris lobe, we will need to drill to confirm thickness, composition, and grade continuity. With maximum observed surficial relief of nearly 40 meters, I will continue to be optimistic that the fine and heavy nature of gold has continued to migrate through the entire thickness of this unconsolidated till. In addition, we are seeing glimpses of mineralization in the hornfels, which we believe may be capping RPM-style intrusives.
” 2024 Exploration Mapping and Sampling Program Results During the 2024 field season Nova’s Head of Exploration, Mr. Hans Hoffman, continued the surface exploration mapping and sampling program across the Estelle claim block with a particular focus on following up results at prospects identified in the 2023 season. 511 soil samples, 225 rock samples, and approximately 5 tons of bulk sample material were collected across the property (Figure 1).
As a result of that program, and reported to date: Surficial results from the RPM regional area with high-grade RPM style gold up to 52.3 g/t Au have been received and are reported in this announcement. All assays results from the 2024 surface sampling program have now been received and reported.
A summary of the 2024 sampling program is shown below in Figure1. Figure 1. Estelle property map showing the sampling program undertaken in 2024 RPM Regional Rocks and Soils While the main focus at RPM in 2024 was to continue resource drilling at the main deposit, field crews continued follow-up sampling along the ridge and bases of outcrop in the RPM area to expand on previous anomalies.
40 rock samples and 100 soil samples were collected. 20 rock samples measured greater than 1.0 g/t Au, with a high of 52.
3 g/t Au. 11 soil samples measured over 0.5 g/t Au, with a high of 4.
8 g/t Au. Table 1 shows the top 10 gold rock samples. Table 2 shows the top ten gold soil samples.
Table 1. RPM regional top ten 2024 gold rock sample results Table 2. RPM regional top ten 2024 gold soil sample results Figure 2.
2024 RPM regional gold rock and soil results (Previous years shown as transparent) As is typical with RPM, gold mineralization is attributed to quartz veins with arsenopyrite, and this style of mineralization is more common in the intrusive granitic rocks as opposed to the hornfels. The high-grade samples E406794 (52.3 g/t Au) and E405207 (17.
5 g/t Au) - shown in Figure 3 - were select vein samples in the glacial till, and are indicative of RPM-style mineralization likely transported up to 1.8km from the source at RPM. Boulders containing these veins are likely contributing to the large geochemical anomaly identified in the till.
Figure 3. Samples E406794 – 52.3 g/t Au (left) and E405207 – 17.
5 g/t Au (right) RPM Regional Till Sampling In addition to rocks and soils, a till sampling grid was executed at 100-meter line spacing and 50-meter sample spacing covering the glacial till in the valley below RPM. These till samples were collected similar to talus fines soil samples, targeting the finer fractions in the till. The till samples were extracted from the soils dataset to be analyzed separately.
138 till samples were collected with 34 > 1.0 g/t Au, 10 > 2.0 g/t Au, and a high of 3.
6 g/t Au. A summary of the top ten gold till samples (> 2.0 g/t Au) is provided in Table 3 below.
Table 3. RPM regional top ten 2024 gold till sample results Figure 4 below provides a surficial geology map of the RPM area with intrusive granitic rocks mapped as pink and the hornfelsed sedimentary rocks mapped as blue. Distinct lobes of glacial till were mapped corresponding to their age of deposition.
Of particular interest is debris lobe Qdt2a covering over 330,000 square meters. The 68 till samples collected in this unit average 1.1 g/t Au.
While the thickness is variable, the areal extent of this unit shows significant resource potential. Qdt2a has been elevated to a top drill target in 2025 to determine thickness, composition, and grade continuity. Figures 5 and 6 present the gold geochemical data in the glacial till.
Figure 4. RPM surficial geology Figure 5. RPM 2024 glacial till sampling Figure 6.
RPM 2024 glacial till heat map Figure 7 below shows the RPM glacial valley looking to the south, with the main deposit area in the upper left of the image. Figure 7. RPM glacial valley Qualified Persons Vannu Khounphakdee, Professional Geologist and member of Australian Institute of Geoscientists contracted by Nova Minerals to provide geologic consulting services.
Mr. Khounphakdee holds a Master of Science in Mine Geology and Engineering. He is a qualified person with at least 5 years experience with this type of project.
By reason of education, affiliation with a professional association, and past relevant work experience, Mr. Khounphakdee fulfills the requirements of Qualified Person (QP) for the purposes of SEC Regulation SK-1300 for data QA/QC checks relevant to this announcement. Hans Hoffman is a State of Alaska Certified Professional Geologist contracted by Nova Minerals to provide geologic consulting services.
Mr. Hoffman is a member of the American Institute of Professional Geologists and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering with a double major in Geology and Geophysics. He is a qualified person with at least 5 years of experience with these types of projects.
By reason of education, affiliation with a professional association, and past relevant work experience, Mr. Hoffman fulfills the requirements of Qualified Person (QP) for the purposes of SEC Regulation SK-1300 for the technical information presented in this announcement. Christopher Gerteisen, Chief Executive Officer of Nova Minerals, is a Professional Geologist and member of Australian Institute of Geoscientists, and has supervised the preparation of this news release and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained herein.
Mr. Gerteisen is a "qualified person" for the purposes of SEC Regulation S-K 1300. About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited is a Gold, Antimony and Critical Minerals exploration and development company focused on advancing the Estelle Project, comprised of 514 km 2 of State of Alaska mining claims, which contains multiple mining complexes across a 35 km long mineralized corridor of over 20 advanced Gold and Antimony prospects, including two already defined multi-million ounce resources, and several drill ready Antimony prospects with massive outcropping stibnite vein systems observed at surface.
The 85% owned project is located 150 km northwest of Anchorage, Alaska, USA, in the prolific Tintina Gold Belt, a province which hosts a >220 million ounce (Moz) documented gold endowment and some of the world's largest gold mines and discoveries including, Barrick's Donlin Creek Gold Project and Kinross Gold Corporation's Fort Knox Gold Mine. The belt also hosts significant Antimony deposits and was a historical North American Antimony producer. Further discussion and analysis of the Estelle Gold Project is available through the interactive Vrify 3D animations, presentations, and videos, all available on the Company’s website.
www.novaminerals.com.
au Forward Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “aim,” “should,” "will” “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.
Forward-looking statements are based on Nova Minerals Limited’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the final prospectus related to the public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Nova Minerals Limited undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. For Additional Information Please Contact Craig Bentley Director of Finance & Compliance & Investor Relations E: [email protected].
au M: +61 414 714 196.
