Nova Minerals (ASX:NVA) will advance its Estelle gold-critical minerals project in Alaska to pre-feasibility study stage as it plans a drilling program of up to 10,000 meters for 2026, with up to three diamond core rigs to be deployed, according to a Thursday Australian bourse filing.

Pilot-scale antimony production is on track for first production in late 2026 to early 2027, the filing said. The company's first lab-scale antimony metal and military-grade antimony trisulfide samples derived from Estelle ore are in the final stages of preparation.

The company plans to conduct a multi-element surface exploration program across the project, comprising reconnaissance and prospect scale sampling, excavation of outcropping stibnite ore vein material, detailed mapping of key target areas, and soil grid surveys.

Nova Minerals' shares rose past 1% in recent Thursday trade.