Gold Assets
Nova is rapidly advancing one of the world’s largest undeveloped gold assets, with the aim to become a world-class, tier-one, global gold producer
Overview
Multi-Million Ounce Gold Asset
Nova has delineated two primary gold deposits at Estelle: the high-grade RPM deposit in the south and the bulk-tonnage Korbel deposit in the north.
Resource Scale and Growth
High-grade and bulk tonnage intrusion related gold systems (IRGS)
4 large gold resource deposits, from surface and remain open
Moz Au total gold resource (JORC) – one of the largest undeveloped gold assets in North America
Moz Au pit-constrained (S-K 1300 compliant) – demonstrating economic viability
Ongoing drilling at RPM, Korbel & new targets to further expand the resource base
Over 20 additional prospects at various stages of exploration with surface samples up to 1,290 g/t Au
Mining and Processing Advantages
Open pit, bulk-mineable, low-strip ratio deposits, with development optionality
Testing ore sorting tech for higher efficiency
Conventional truck-and-shovel mining boosts favorable economics
Comparable Mines
Estelle’s scale & geology compare favorably to Kinross’s Fort Knox Mine (11 Moz averaging 0.3 g/t Au)
To learn more about Estelle’s gold assets, please hover over the star hotspots marked on the map above.
RPM
High-Grade Gold in the South
The RPM deposit is defined by thick, high-grade drill intercepts and hosts a broad, continuous zone of mineralization starting at surface, and remains open with strong potential for further expansion in multiple directions.
The mineralized system, chartacterized by an intrusion-related gold bearing quartz-arsenopyrite vein stockwork and sheeted array, includes a high-grade core outcropping at surface suitable for a starter pit. The deposit spans approximately 1.0 km in length, 0.9 km in width, and 0.6 km in depth, and includes three potentially genetically linked zones: RPM North, RPM South, and RPM Valley
1.24 Moz @ 0.6 g/t Au total gold resource (JORC) | 1.13 Moz @ 0.7 g/t Au (S-K 1300)
0.34 Moz @ 2.3 g/t Au high-grade measured & indicated core (JORC) | 0.33 Moz @ 2.4 g/t Au (S-K 1300)
0.18 Moz @ 4.1 g/t Au super high-grade measured component (JORC & S-K 1300)
Further drilling is planned at RPM in 2025 to increase both the size and confidence of the resource for economic studies. There is also strong potential for further resource expansion along the ridgeline and across the broader region north of the current RPM deposit, where surface sampling has returned high-grade rock samples up to 52.3 g/t Au and till samples averaging 1.1 g/t Au over 1.7 km in glacial debris lobes.
World Class Thick High-Grade Gold Drill Intercepts
RPM-005
Incl: 287m @ 4.8 g/t Au
86m @ 14.1 g/t Au
RPM-015
Incl: 161m @ 8.1 g/t Au
45m @ 25.3 g/t Au
RPM-008
Incl: 140m @ 6.5 g/t Au
56m @ 15.0 g/t Au
Korbel
Bulk Tonnage Gold in the North
The Korbel Valley is a sizable mineralized system measuring approximately 5 km in length and 4 km in width. It includes two main deposits — Korbel Main and Cathedral — and six nearby mineralized prospects with significant untested potential: Isabella, You Beauty, Sweet Jenny, Blocks C&D, Portage Pass, and NK. All of these are situated close to the proposed central processing plant site.
Korbel Main
The Korbel Main deposit is a large bulk tonnage, intrusion-related gold system characterized by gold bearing sheeted quartz-arsenopyrite veins. The mineralized zone, which remains open in all directions, is defined by thick intercepts starting at surface and has a confirmed strike length of 2.5 km, a width of 0.5 km, and a depth of 0.7 km.
6.64 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au total gold resource (JORC) | 2.70 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au (S-K 1300)
3.09 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au indicated gold resource (JORC) | 2.39 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au (S-K 1300)
The deposit, which has a very low strip ratio of 1.7:1, and selective mining potential, features a high-grade feeder core at surface that offers direct mill feed from a starter pit, while testing has shown the lower-grade material can be upgraded up to 6 g/t Au using ore sorting technology.
Thick Drill Intercepts from Surface
KBDH-012
Incl: 82m @ 1.5 g/t Au
30m @ 2.4 g/t Au
KBDH-024
Incl: 97m @ 0.8 g/t Au
3m @ 4.4 g/t Au
KBDH-072
Incl: 49m @ 1.5 g/t Au
21m @ 2.5 g/t Au
Cathedral
The nearby Cathedral deposit exhibits many similarities to Korbel Main and has a confirmed strike length of 0.8 km and a width of 0.4 km. Mineralization remains open from surface in all directions and initial results show that Cathedral has the potential for higher grade “blow out” zones within the core above the current drilling, where surface sampling has identified rock samples up to 114 g/t Au.
2.01 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au total gold resource (JORC) | 1.35 Moz @ 0.3 g/t Au (S-K 1300)
Other Gold Prospects
Estelle Regional Expansion Potential
To date, less than 5% of the 514 km² property has been explored, yet more than 20 highly prospective gold targets have already been identified along the 35 km-long mineralized intrusive corridor. High priority targets include:
Train
Geological observations of sheeted and intrusion-related gold materialization have identified another large IRGS, characterized by six promising gold and multi-element targets, spanning approximately 4.5 km by 2.5 km in the Train area, located 6 km north of RPM.
Train: 32 rock samples > 5 g/t Au with a high of 80.2 g/t Au, and soils up to 3.3 g/t Au
Trumpet: 21 rock samples > 5 g/t Au with a high of 132.5 g/t Au, and soils up to 4.8 g/t Au
Shoeshine: 10 rock samples > 5 g/t Au with a property high of 1,290 g/t Au, and soils up to 7.5 g/t Au
Muddy Creek: 24 rock samples > 10 g/t Au with a high of 128.5 g/t Au, and soils up to 6.3 g/t Au, over a 1.9 km strike length. Muddy Creek is one of the most impressive gold prospects on the property with a core anomaly measuring 800m by 400m
Shadow: 4 rock samples > 5 g/t Au with a high of 44.2 g/t Au, and soils up to 6.8 g/t Au
Discovery: 3 rock samples > 10 g/t Au with a high of 43.6 g/t Au, and soils up to 0.6 g/t Au
Stoney
Surface sampling in the Stoney area, situated in the central portion of the property, has revealed further widespread mineralization across seven prospects at various stages of exploration. The most significant targets in the area include:
Stoney/Rainy Day/T5: Extensive polymetallic vein system over 10m wide with nearly 1 km exposed at surface and up to 300m of vertical relief, characterized by rock samples with grades up to 74.5 g/t Au, 2,790 g/t Ag and 8.5% Cu.
Wombat: An epithermal gold system with up to 4m thick gold-bearing quartz veins located north of Stoney, characterised by 10 rock samples > 4 g/t Au with a high of 360 g/t Au, and soils up to 2.8 g/t Au.
Stibium
Surface sampling at the Stibium prospect has identified an 800m long by 400m wide high-grade gold-antimony rich zone which is characterized by 16 rock samples > 5 g/t Au with a high of 141 g/t Au, and soils up to 5.9 g/t Au. With its high-grade antimony potential as well, Stibium is regarded as the highest priority new target on the property and it is Nova’s intention to drill the prospect in 2025 to define a maiden MRE for both gold and antimony.