Nova wins $43.4M Pentagon award to build antimony hub, shares skyrocket
MINING.COM·2025-10-01 14:57

Core Viewpoint - Nova Minerals has received $43.4 million from the US Department of War to support antimony trisulfide production at its Estelle project in Alaska, significantly boosting its stock price [1][10]. Group 1: Project Overview - The Estelle project is located 150 km northwest of Anchorage and spans a 35-km mineralized corridor with 20 identified gold prospects, including four large near-surface gold deposits, holding nearly 10 million ounces of resources [2]. - The property covers 514 km² within the Tintina gold belt, known for over 220 million ounces of documented gold endowment and significant gold mines [3]. Group 2: Antimony Significance - The Tintina belt also contains significant antimony deposits, historically supplying the North American market, particularly during wartime [4]. - Antimony is critical to national and economic security, with high usage in defense and high-tech applications; however, the US has not produced it commercially since 2016 [5]. Group 3: Development Plans - Nova has discovered antimony alongside gold in surface sampling across the Estelle claims and plans to publish a resource estimate for antimony this year [6]. - The DoW funding will enable the development of a fully integrated US supply chain for extracting, concentrating, and refining stibnite to produce military-grade antimony trisulfide [7]. Group 4: Strategic Importance - The partnership aims to support the establishment of a domestic supply chain for munitions and other defense products, as well as for high-tech applications like semiconductors and energy systems [8]. - The funding will be used for the initial phase of a state-of-the-art antimony mining and refining hub in Alaska [9]. Group 5: Market Reaction - Following the announcement, shares of Nova Minerals surged by up to 20%, reaching a 52-week high of $20.87, with a market capitalization of approximately $130 million [10].