Nova Minerals Limited (“
Nova” and the
“
Company”) (NASDAQ: NVA) (ASX: NVA) (FRA: QM3), a
gold and critical minerals exploration stage company focused on
advancing the Estelle Gold Project in Alaska, U.S.A., is pleased to
advise the Company has executed a variation agreement with its
largest institutional shareholder and convertible note holder
Nebari Gold Fund 1, LP (Nebari) to reduce the month end cash
covenant required under the previously announced loan agreement
dated 21 November 2022 from US$2m to A$1m, and with the option to
extend the convertible facility for a further 12 months out to 29
November 2026. In addition to the recent US NASDAQ listing, the
freeing up of this additional ~A$2m gives the Company the ability
to accelerate the RPM early start up option to a Feasibility Study
(FS) for delivery in 2025 by undertaking internal optimization
studies aimed to investigate how it can potentially generate as
much early cashflow as possible to organically fund the Company’s
expansion plans across the Estelle Project. It also gives the
Company the ability to continue its advanced discussions with the
US Dept. of Defense (DoD) in relation to potentially establishing a
starter antimony operation at Stibium in parallel.
Further details in respect to the variations of
the Nebari convertible facility agreement are set out below.
Nova CEO, Mr Christopher Gerteisen commented:
“It is a pleasure to work with Nebari, our largest institutional
shareholder and note holder, who have shown strong support and
indicated an unwavering commitment towards advancing the project
through to production. We are certainly both aligned with the
current fast track RPM FS completion strategy aimed at achieving
production as soon as possible. Working together we have now freed
up more than US$1.3m in cash to strengthen our financial position
to facilitate this effort to deliver a lower capex, high margin,
scale-able project focused initially on development of the RPM gold
deposit to generate free cash flow as soon as possible to enable
future growth across the larger Estelle Project area. With the
continued support of Nebari, and all of our shareholders, we will
work together for the ongoing progress and success of the Company
as we continue to advance on our path towards commercial
production.”
Nebari Senior Managing Director, Mr Roderik van
Losenoord adds: “We are very pleased to be supporting Nova and its
Estelle Project, as the company explores routes to develop RPM.
Support and partnership is what the Nebari-lending relationship
with our borrowers is all about.”
With an already defined multi-million ounce gold
resource across 4 deposits, the Estelle Project has development
optionality in terms of initial project size and scale. The PFS
currently underway is considering a strategy to achieve production
with a scalable operation, subject to market conditions and
strategic partners, by;
1. Establishing an
initial lower capex smaller scale operation at the high-grade RPM
deposit for potential near term cashflow at high margins to
self-fund expansion plans; and/or
2. Develop the
higher capex larger mining operation with increased gold
production, cash flow, and mine life, which is of interest to
potential future large gold company strategic
partners.
3. With China
announcing export restrictions on antimony, the Stibium
Antimony-Gold Prospect is being advanced and investigated as an
additional small scale, stand-alone, quick start up cash flow
opportunity, with potential US Dept. of Defense (DoD)
support.
Nebari Convertible Note
Variation
1. Nebari Gold Fund 1, LP continues to hold all
its equity and remains a top 20 supporting shareholder. Nebari also
continues to be a potential future funding partner for the lower
capex, higher margin RPM project development currently going
through PFS.
2. The variation agreement allows Nova an
additional ~A$2m in free cashflow to further advance the project,
with the minimum month-end consolidated cash balance of the Group
required under the current loan agreement being reduced from US$2m
to A$1m.
3. The variation agreement allows Nova to extend
the term of the convertible facility by written notification prior
to 29 November 2024, by an additional 12 months to 29 November
2026, at its option, subject to shareholder approval.
4. In return for Nebari’s support in reducing
the month end cash covenant and providing Nova with the option to
extend the convertible facility for an additional 12 months, Nova
has agreed to amend the conversion price from A$0.53 to A$0.25,
subject to shareholder approval.
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 km2 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
Certain statements made in this announcement are
forward-looking statements including with respect to the creation
of a trading market for ADSs representing the Ordinary Shares in
the United States. These forward-looking statements are not
historical facts but rather are based on the Company’s current
expectations, estimates, and projections about its industry; its
beliefs; and assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,”
“intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates” and similar
expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, are
difficult to predict, and could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or forecasted in the
forward-looking statements, including if the Company’s registration
statement is not declared effective by the SEC. The Company
cautions security holders and prospective security holders not to
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
reflect the view of the Company only as of the date of this
announcement. The forward-looking statements made in this
announcement relate only to events as of the date on which the
statements are made. The Company will not undertake any obligation
to release publicly any revisions or updates to these
forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances, or
unanticipated events occurring after the date of this announcement
except as required by law or by any appropriate regulatory
authority.
For Additional Information Please ContactCraig
BentleyDirector of Finance & Compliance & Investor
RelationsE: craig@novaminerals.com.auM: +61 414 714 196
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