Nova Minerals identifies massive polymetallic vein system at Estelle gold project
Rock chip samples from Nova’s Alaskan prospects have returned high-grade gold, silver and copper results.
Aspiring producer Nova Minerals (ASX: NVA) has discovered an extensive polymetallic vein system at its Estelle gold project within Alaska’s famed Tintina gold belt.
Rock chip samples taken from the Stoney, Rainy Day and T5 prospects have delivered high-grade results of up to 48.4 grams per tonne gold, 2,720g/t silver and 2.4% copper along an extensive outcropping mineralised zone within the district.
The prospects are located in the central portion of the claim block between Portage Creek and Muddy Creek, and are hosted in a granodiorite phase of the Estelle Pluton.
Sampling aimed to collect representative chips of high-grade mineralisation on the Stoney vein, identify the colour anomaly at Rainy Day, and determine the source of a magnetic anomaly at T5 believed to be associated with Stoney.
Anomalous results
Nova originally sampled the massive to semi-massive sulphide Stoney vein during a reconnaissance program earlier this year where it discovered an inferred strike length of 3.8 kilometres yielding anomalous gold-silver-copper results.
With thicknesses ranging up to 10 metres and a vertical relief of 300m, the vein is believed to be quite extensive and returned promising results from initial sampling.
Nova said it warrants drilling in the new year and will plan geophysical programs to better define the extent of Stoney and nearby splays.
Rainy Day discovery
While working in the vicinity of Stoney, crews discovered Rainy Day as another massive polymetallic vein to the northwest of the main Stoney occurrence.
It is believed to be similar in nature to Stoney and dominated by pyrrhotite plus chalcopyrite and arsenopyrite measuring up to 5m thick, with at least 10m of vertical relief and 100m of exposed strike length.
A representative chip sample across 3m of the Rainy Day vein ran 8.12g/t gold and 1.7% copper, while a select outcrop sample returned 5.39g/t gold and 0.5% copper.
Nova said Rainy Day is also a significant discovery which warrants further exploration.
Project depth and scale
Nova chief executive officer Christopher Gerteisen said the success of this year’s reconnaissance program has confirmed the depth and scale of the Estelle project.
“These rock chip sample results open up another dimension for Estelle with the discovery of an extensive polymetallic vein system,” he said.
“The Stoney prospect discovery highlights further potential of another large-scale mineralised system [which] has silver-copper upside as well.”
Mr Gerteisen said the company is “systematically working through all the targets” at Estelle and expects further success as it aims to turn the district into one of North America’s leading new gold camps.