NovaGold reports assays results from Donlin Gold drill program

NOVAGOLD (NG) RESOURCES announced the final assay results from the 2025 Donlin Gold drill program, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of what is anticipated to be America’s largest gold mine. Additionally, NOVAGOLD achieved two significant permitting milestones with the acceptance of Donlin Gold into the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s FAST-41 program – an important step to ensure a transparent, accountable, and predictable process for conducting the supplemental environmental analysis requested by the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska – and a favorable ruling from the Alaska Supreme Court affirming both the project’s water rights and the Department of Natural Resources’ approval of the State ROW lease for the proposed 316-mile natural gas pipeline. “To date, the drilling at Donlin has yielded terrific results,” said Greg Lang, CEO. “The 2025 drill program continues to exceed expectations and provide key data points for the Bankable Feasibility Study, which is expected to commence by the first quarter of 2026. With consistent high-grade intercepts, acceptance into the FAST-41 program, and a decisive legal win in Alaska, Donlin Gold is advancing with remarkable determination. These milestones not only validate the extraordinary quality of the asset and demonstrate the strength of our team, but also provide the momentum needed to support the next phase of development. The progress we have made – both technically and on the permitting front – positions Donlin Gold as a standout project in the global gold sector.” The 2025 Donlin Gold drill program was expanded to support the updated resource model and advance the BFS, reinforcing the project’s long-term development strategy. Work centered on three key areas: grid drilling to refine mine-planning inputs; in-pit exploration drilling to strengthen geological modelling and resource conversion; and geotechnical drilling, including pit wall and material site assessments for the planned access road – all essential to the BFS. Supported by a team of about 80 locally hired staff and external contractors, the 2025 drill program intersected multiple zones of high-grade gold mineralization. The findings contribute vital inputs for engineering work, mine planning, and resource modelling – marking an important milestone on the Company’s path to a BFS. The top five intervals from the final set of 2025 assays include: DC25-2262 intersected 41.09 m grading 3.06 g/t gold starting at 387.96 m drilled depth. The true width of mineralization across this interval is estimated to be 35.87 m. DC25-2262 intersected 21.03 m grading 4.51 g/t gold starting at 354.09 m drilled depth. The true width of mineralization across this interval is estimated to be 18.16 m. DC25-2275 intersected 4.38 m grading 26.22 g/t gold starting at 165.95 m drilled depth. The true width of mineralization across this interval is estimated to be 3.15 m. DC25-2263 intersected 27.43 m grading 4.14 gold starting at 381.17 m drilled depth. The true width of mineralization across this interval is estimated to be 17.72 m. DC25-2267 intersected 13.89 m grading 7.08 g/t gold starting at 442.67 m drilled depth. The true width of mineralization across this interval is estimated to be 12.87 m.