Stelar Metals Clears Final Approval for 3,500m Tungsten Drill as US Ban Looms
Stelar Metals has received the Authority Certificate from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority (AAPA), completing the statutory approvals pathway for its first drilling program at the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project (EL33232) in the Northern Territory. An experienced RC driller has been engaged, with drilling expected to commence in approximately 3 weeks. The program will begin within 3 months of the project’s acquisition (acquired 13 May 2026) — a rapid execution milestone against a backdrop of China export controls, a US Department of War prohibition on Chinese-sourced tungsten from 1 January 2027, and APT pricing at historic highs.
What the approval unlocks and what happens next
The AAPA Authority Certificate, issued under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989, sets the conditions under which the company may undertake ground-disturbing activities across the project area. This follows the earlier NT Government Environmental Licence Approval (received 29 July 2026) — together these complete all approvals required for the maiden program.
RC drilling terms have been accepted, with mobilisation and site establishment now being scheduled. Subject to final site preparation and access works, drilling is planned to commence in the coming weeks.
Next steps:
- Final site preparation and access works
- Contractor mobilisation to site
- Commencement of maiden RC drilling program
- Assay results reported to market as received
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High-grade surface results driving the drill targeting
The maiden program comprises up to 3,500m of RC drilling, designed to test depth continuity beneath extensive shallow historic mine workings and along strike from high-grade surface mineralisation. Phase 1 and Phase 2 surface sampling defined a zone of outcropping high-grade tungsten over 2,000m of strike and hundreds of metres wide, open along strike and at depth. The upcoming program represents the first bedrock drilling on the project — management described this as “a genuine first-mover discovery opportunity” with maiden bedrock drilling beneath the Hill of Leaders vein field.
| Sample ID | WO₃ (%) | W (%) |
|---|---|---|
| HOLA039 | 15.69% | 12.45% |
| HOLA036 | 7.76% | 6.16% |
| HOLA006 | 4.96% | 3.94% |
| HOLA031 | 4.45% | 3.53% |
| HOLA012 | 2.95% | 2.34% |
Phase 2 sampling returned a headline result of 15.69% WO₃ from sample HOLA039, confirming and extending the high-grade wolframite and scheelite-bearing zones first identified during Phase 1.
Executive Chairman Stephen Biggins
“To be on the verge of our first drilling program just three months after acquiring the Hill of Leaders project is a testament to the team’s rapid execution. Stelar’s performance reflects our team’s experience and expertise operating in the NT as we built Core Lithium’s Finniss Lithium Project.”
“The Stelar team are excited to repeat our success toward Tungsten in the Territory”
“Our upcoming RC drilling will test the bedrock beneath the extensive shallow historic tungsten mine workings and recent high-grade surface samples which returned up to 15.69% WO₃.”
“The timing of this program could not be better. We are drilling a genuine first-mover discovery opportunity against a backdrop of extraordinary macro tailwinds for tungsten. With APT prices at historic highs and impending US mandates on Chinese-sourced tungsten, a successful drill program here has the potential to be transformational for the Company and our shareholders.”
Why tungsten — and why the timing matters for investors
China dominates global tungsten supply, making Chinese export controls significant. The incoming US Department of War prohibition on Chinese-sourced tungsten, effective 1 January 2027, creates demand for non-Chinese supply sources.
A successful drill result at Hill of Leaders would position Stelar within a tightening Western supply chain while APT prices sit at historic highs. Management framed a successful program as potentially “transformational” for the company and its shareholders.
The project is situated in an established NT tungsten district near the Molyhil (ASX: TVN) and Hatches Creek (ASX: TGN) deposits, in a region where Stelar’s management has prior discovery and development experience. Executive Chairman Stephen Biggins referenced the team’s track record building Core Lithium’s Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory.
The convergence of regulatory approvals, driller engagement, high-grade surface results, and strong sector tailwinds creates a clear investment thesis: the maiden drilling program will test whether high-grade surface mineralisation extends at depth in a jurisdiction where the management team has executed successfully before, during a period of tightening Western tungsten supply.
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The road ahead
Mobilisation is being scheduled with the contractor, with drilling planned to commence in approximately 3 weeks subject to final site preparation and access works. The maiden 3,500m RC program will test beneath and along strike from the historic tungsten mine workings and high-grade mineralisation identified in the company’s surface sampling programs. Assay results will be reported to the market as received.
This represents a clear, near-term newsflow-rich period for shareholders, with first bedrock data expected to define whether high-grade surface mineralisation extends at depth.
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