Stelar Metals has finalised its statutory approvals and engaged a reverse circulation drilling contractor to begin maiden drilling at the Hill of Leaders Tungsten Project in the Northern Territory.

The company received an Authority Certificate from the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority under the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act 1989. This follows earlier Northern Territory Government environmental licence approval and completes the statutory approvals pathway for the project.

Stelar acquired the project in May 2026. Following the acquisition, the company appointed former Core Lithium exploration manager Andrew Bennett to lead the execution of the upcoming drilling program.

The maiden program will comprise up to 3,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling designed to test bedrock beneath shallow historic mine workings and high-grade surface sampling results, which include rock chip assays up to 15.69% WO₃. Mobilisation is currently being scheduled with the contractor, with drilling planned to commence in approximately three weeks following final site preparation and access works.

“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 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.”

— Stephen Biggins, Executive Chairman

Site preparation, access works and contractor mobilisation will precede the start of the 3,500-metre drilling campaign.

Read the full announcement: Drilling Approvals Finalised and Driller Locked In for HoL