(TheNewswire)
Highlights
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ( “Noble” or the “Company” ) (TSXV:NOB ) , ( FRANKFURT:NB7 ) , ( OTC:NLPXF) is pleased to report that Canada Nickel Company Inc. (“Canada Nickel”) has initiated a drill campaign on the properties optioned from Noble in Mann Twp et al. The direct related quotes are taken from the Canada Nickel News Release of May 24, 2023.
“Mann Northwest Property
The Mann property is located 22 kilometres east of Crawford and 45 kilometres northeast of Timmins. The property consists of at least three main ultramafic targets like that at Crawford – Mann Northwest with a target footprint of 6.0 km 2 , Mann Central with a target footprint of 3.1 km 2 , and Mann Southeast with a target footprint of 4.1 km 2 - compared to Crawford target footprint of 1.6 km 2 (see Figure 1).
Drilling started in the Northwest zone, with the first four drillholes intersecting very strongly serpentinized peridotite and minor dunite. These first four holes delineated mineralization along 800 metres of strike length and a width of at least 500 metres within a total target length of 10.4 kilometres. Mann Northwest remains open in all directions. Mineralogy and assays are pending. All four holes collared in dunite/peridotite with lesser intersections of pyroxenite and some minor dykes (Figure 1). All holes show strong serpentinization, and fine-grained mineralization throughout.”
Figure 1. Plan View of Mann zones with ongoing drilling in Northwest area.
Vance White, President and CEO of Noble, said “we are extremely pleased to see Canada Nickel moving forward with their initial round of drilling in Mann Twp .”
About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company which, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd., Go Metals Corp. and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd., and its interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario, will continue to hold ~25,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, as well as an additional ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and ~14,400 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It will also hold its ~14,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and its ~4,600 hectares in the Boulder Project both near Hearst, Ontario, as well as its ~482 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, its ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, its ~10,152 hectares in the Havre St Pierre Nickel, Copper, PGM property, its ~518 hectares in the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of which are in the Province of Quebec. More detailed information is available on the website at: https://www.noblemineralexploration.com
Noble’s common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “NOB”.
Cautionary Statement
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company’s plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
H. Vance White, President
Phone: 416-214-2250
Fax: 416-367-1954
Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com
Investor Relations
Email: ir@noblemineralexploration.com
Noble Mineral Exploration (TSXV:NOB,FWB:NB7,OTCQB:NLPXF) is a Canadian junior exploration company with shareholdings in Canada Nickel, Spruce Ridge Resources and MacDonald Mines Exploration.
Noble holds approximately 90,000 hectares of mineral rights in various areas of Northern Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland, upon which it plans to generate joint venture exploration programs. The company is exploring for nickel, cobalt, platinum group metals (PGMs), volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS), gold, chromium, copper, zinc, silver and gold. The company owns one contiguous block of land totaling 25,000 hectares staked and patented mineral rights at Project 81 including a 50-percent interest in the Carnegie, Prosser, Wark and Kidd Twps (6,600 hectares ) claims, and an option on 4,800 hectares in Calder Twp.
Noble’s Project 81 properties have been sold to Canada Nickel for 3.5 million shares of Canada Nickel, which yielded dividends to Noble shareholders in the second quarter of 2022 by way of a return of capital. Noble has retained a 2-percent net smelter return (NSR) on claims in Bradburn, Mahaffy and MacDiarmid Twps subject to a 50-percent buyback at graduated rates per project.
The Crawford nickel sulfide project covers 9,000 hectares of the larger Project 81 property and is approximately 14 kilometers north of the Kidd Creek mine. After an initial drill program carried out by Spruce Ridge Resources, the Crawford Ni-Co-PGM deposit was taken over by Sprudge Ridge for 22 million shares of Canada Nickel.
Noble Mineral also holds interest in Mann et al Twps comprising 1,900 hectares in the Timmins area of Northern Ontario, for which it holds the mineral rights focusing on Ni-Co-PGM. The company plans a follow-up drilling campaign at the Nagagami River Carbonatite project covering 14,600 hectares of niobium and rare earth discovery near Hearst in Northern Ontario. Noble is also planning its 2023 drill campaign at the 4,600-hectare Boulder Project. Scheduled winter drilling for the same year is set for the 482-hectare Cere-Villebon and 3,700-hectare Buckingham graphite projects.
Noble Mineral has also formed numerous strategic financial and technical partnerships that apply state-of-the-art technology to help identify various types of mineralization. Some of the company’s partners include MacDonald Mines Exploration (TSXV:BMK), a Canadian precious metals explorer, Orix Geoscience, a geological consulting firm, BECI Exploration Consulting, an innovative airborne mineral exploration technology developer, CGG Multiphysics, a fully-integrated geoscience company providing leading geological, geophysical (airborne gravity gradiometer) and reservoir services, Windfall Geotek to produce artificial intelligence (AI), IBK, as their financial advisor, and Franco-Nevada (TSX:FNV), a net smelter royalty (NSR) holder.The Project 81 property spans over 36,400 hectares and is located in the Timmins-Cochrane area of Northern Ontario. It comprises patented mineral rights, in addition to contiguous staked mining claims. The property remains mostly underexplored and is prospective for gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, platinum group metals (PGM), chromium, copper, lead, VMS and zinc deposits. Project 81 is within three kilometers of Glencore’s Kidd Creek zinc-copper-silver mine complex, 30 kilometers from the Porcupine-Destor main break, and within 25 kilometers of the City of Timmins, Ontario. The property is accessible by paved highway and has access to high-voltage transmission lines, hydropower, water, mining personnel and mining service suppliers and contractors.
Noble Minerals has acquired a copper-precious-metal prospect near Hearst, Ontario, extending from about 4 to 15 kilometers southwest of the town of Hearst. The staked area is equivalent to approximately 4,500 hectares. A 140-kilogram boulder was found in the area containing significant concentrations of base and precious metals which, upon analysis conducted in 2019 by the Ontario Geological Survey, determined that the boulder contained: 71.8 percent copper; 3.5 percent lead, 1.09 percent zinc; 252 grams per ton (g/t) of silver, 3.79 g/t of gold; 4.43 g/t of palladium; and 2.22 g/t of platinum and consisted primarily of the mineral cuprite.
Drilling is planned in 2023 to follow up on airborne EM/Mag for Boulder producing more than 70 percent copper.
First core from Nagagami Complex
Noble acquired an estimated 14,607 hectares, including 695 mining claims, in the Nagagami River area. The carbonatite alkalic complex is positioned approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Hearst, Ontario. Project perspectives are based on magnetic study of the Nagagami land relative to the Niobec mine in Quebec. These geologically similar areas indicate donut-shaped structures with syenitic rocks forming the circular magnetic high, and carbonatitic rocks forming the central magnetic low where niobium and other rare earth mineralization is hosted.
The Buckingham graphite project comprises 3,700 hectares in the Outaouais area of Western Quebec. A 2022 fieldwork of a two-phase program was conducted to include reprocessing of data from a 2013 survey, property visits to locate trenches, grab samples and drill hole collars. The company has proposed to conduct infill drilling on the property in 2023.
Between the 1960s and 1980s, drilling and exploration were conducted at the Lucas gold project. No significant exploration work, however, has been completed on the property since the 1980s. Historic (not NI 43-101 compliant) drill highlights include 9.14 meters grading 3.14 g/t gold and 8.84 meters grading 3.5 g/t gold. The project also has six discrete parallel induced polarization (IP) anomalous trends that require follow-up exploration.
In 2012 and 2018, Noble Mineral completed airborne electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical surveys on the property. The surveys outlined an anomalous gold trend that was followed up with a 3,184-meter drill program over 650 meters of the 1,700-meter strike length. Highlights from the 2018 drill program include 5 meters grading 1.42 g/t gold and 9.5 meters grading 1.84 g/t gold.
The company believes that the gold mineralization at Lucas is structurally controlled and occurs as discrete lenses stacked within the pyrite-gold mineralized tuff unit. Noble Mineral intends to conduct follow-up drilling during future work programs.
H. Vance White has served as president and director of the company since 2003. He has been actively involved in the mineral exploration and production industry for over 50 years. White has also served as director and officer of several other reporting issuers, including Dickenson Mines, now Goldcorp/Newmont. He was the founder of AfriOre, now owned by Lonmin.
Robert Suttie currently works with Marrelli Support Services as its vice-president. He has more than 20 years of experience, 10 of which were in public accounting prior to his tenure with the Marrelli organization. He specializes in management advisory services, accounting and the financial disclosure needs of Marrelli’s public client base. Suttie also serves as CFO for a number of other junior mining companies listed on the TSX and TSXV, leveraging his skills and experience to become integral to the reporting issuers.
Wayne Holmstead brings Noble Mineral Exploration more than 40 years of exploration experience in Ontario and Quebec. He is a P.Geo who graduated from the University of Toronto holding positions of president, vice-president exploration, exploration manager and director for various junior mining companies over the years and has directed all aspects of mineral exploration in Canada.
He co-discovered and arranged financing for the MacLeod Lake copper-molybdenum-gold-silver deposit in James Bay, Quebec. He outlined 18 million tonnes of copper, molybdenum, gold and silver in the Main Zone, and discovered the South Zone and Rocky Point Zone at Macleod Lake through boulder tracing and beep mat prospecting.
Denis Frawley is a corporate and securities lawyer at Ormston List Frawley LLP, where he has been practicing since 2006. He regularly advises companies involved in the mineral resource exploration and mining industries on matters related to corporate law, securities law, corporate governance and related areas. Frawley also routinely advises private and public companies on financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and general commercial and business matters. In addition, as part of his practice advising public companies, he frequently advises on reverse takeovers and other transformative transactions.
Prior to founding Ormston List Frawley LLP, Frawley was a partner in Toronto at another leading Canadian law firm. He received his bachelors of common and civil law degrees from McGill University and his Bachelor of Social Science in economics from the University of Ottawa. He is permitted to practice in Ontario and New York.
For the majority of his career, Birks Bovaird’s focus has been on the provision and implementation of corporate financial consulting and strategic planning services. He was previously the vice-president of corporate finance for one of Canada’s major accounting firms. He presently is the chairman of Energy Fuels Inc., a premier US-based integrated uranium miner listed on the TSX and NYSE. Bovaird is chairman of GTA Resources and Mining as well as a member of the audit committee. He has been involved with numerous public resource companies, both as a member of management and as a director. He is a graduate of the Canadian Director Education Program and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D) designation.
Michael Newbury is a professional engineer, banker and project finance specialist with over 30 years of experience in the operation, financing and evaluation of natural resource projects. Newbury’s mining and technical expertise, as well as financial and engineering capabilities, enable the evaluation, assessment, development and operational plans and financial structures that manage project risk, minimize equity requirements and maximize shareholder value.
Newbury has a bachelor’s of science from McGill University, managed Barclays Bank’s World Mining Group and the Credit Suisse Corporate Banking Group. He was one of the initial partners in Endeavour Financial and provided his technical expertise to that group for over 10 years. He has extensive experience in the evaluation and financial structuring of natural resource projects in emerging market countries including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, China and Venezuela, now Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Currently, he operates as an independent consultant and is on the Boards of a number of junior mining companies. He is Noble Mineral Exploration’s designated qualified person (QP) for geological reporting.
As the president of Blue Source Canada, the largest developer and marketer of projects to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) in Canada, Yvan Champagne oversees project sourcing, offset sales, brokerage and advisory services for the Canadian market. An experienced leader and entrepreneur in carbon markets, Champagne has a great passion for and understanding of environmental technologies and GHG-reduction projects.
His broad experience includes GHG project screening, assessment and contracting, and advising companies and organizations across Canada on sustainable environmental strategies and programs. Champagne brings expertise in government relations, consulting in the energy sector, public affairs and marketing, and growing companies in new markets. Champagne obtained his Bachelor’s of arts in political science from Yale University with a focus on environmental policy and business-government relations. He is also a graduate of the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program.
Dr. Samuel Peralta has 35 years of business experience in the energy and technology sectors, overseeing business development, product and process innovation and corporate transformation. He holds a PhD in physics, with an industry background in energy, mobile platforms and digital media, advanced sensors and semiconductors. Currently, he is CEO of Windrift Bay, which develops and manages a portfolio of technology and media properties. He was previously director of business and corporate development at Kinectrics, overseeing $70 million annually in high-tech programs for the energy industry.
Previously, he was CEO of Qvadis, a smartphone software provider and CTO for OH Solar, a photovoltaic firm based on an acquisition from Texas Instruments. Peralta served in key positions at Ontario Power Generation and the Ontario Laser and Lightwave Research Centre. He has served on the board of directors of public, private and non-profit firms, with committee leadership in governance, finance and audit, and special projects including mergers and acquisitions. Peralta served on the boards of Qvadis, Envergence, OPEL Solar, Axiom NDT, POET Technologies and the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries. He is currently sitting on the boards of Cobalt Blockchain, Noble Mineral Exploration and Windrift Bay.
Stephen Balch, a professional geologist, has over 30 years of experience in mineral exploration as an exploration geophysicist. He is one of Canada’s leading experts on geophysical techniques used to identify nickel-copper sulfide and platinum-group-metal targets. Since 2010, he has served as president and a director of Triumph Instruments, a company that conducts airborne time-domain electromagnetic surveys in North America, China and Mexico.
Since 2001, he has been president of Balch Exploration Consulting, a company that provides consulting services to major mining and junior exploration companies. From 2007 to 2015, Balch served as the president and a director of Canadian Mining Geophysics, a geophysical data recording company. He currently serves as vice-president of exploration for Canada Nickel.
Dr. Ed van Hees is a registered professional geoscientist with over 40 years of domestic and international experience working in, exploring for, and doing research on the origin and geochemistry of Orogenic gold deposits. He has worked as an exploration field geologist, mine geologist, exploration manager, consulting geologist, research scientist and professor of geology. Most recently, van Hees was employed as the Regional Resident Geologist responsible for the Timmins and Sault Ste Marie Mining Districts with the Ontario Geological Survey Resident Geology Program. Here he supervised the professional staff and authored / co-authored 7 Annual Reports of Activity and 10 Recommendations for Exploration between 2016 and 2020. Starting in 2019 he was employed as a professor for the Haileybury School of Mines where he has taught and helped develop seven geology, geochemistry, geophysics and environmental courses. From 2001 to 2015, van Hees was a professor of geology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where taught core geology courses including mineralogy, petrology, structural geology and exploration / economic geology, as well as conducting research on the geochemistry and structural geology of orogenic gold deposits, and the geochemistry of metal pollution. In total, he has authored/co-authored 36 publications.
Canada Nickel is exercising its option to earn an 80% of the Mann Township mining claims (~11,000 ha) with Noble retaining a 20% interest,
The property Includes Mann Northwest, Central and Southeast properties that cover a combined 25 km strike length of nickel-bearing ultramafic rocks,
Northwest and Central will advance to resource delineation programs while Southeast will be drilled for the first time, all during the 2024 exploration season.
TORONTO – TheNewswire - April 22, 2024 – Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. (" Noble " or the " Company ") (TSXV: NOB) (OTCQX: NLPXF) is pleased to announce that Canada Nickel Company (" Canada Nickel ") is exercising its option to acquire an 80% interest in the Mann Nickel Property from Noble in the Timmins area of northern Ontario.
The option terms included:
(i) Exploration expenditures of $1.7 million on the Property (completed),
(ii) Cash payment to Noble of $350,000 (made),
(iii) Annual cash payments to Noble of $100,000 (payments are current),
(iv) Underlying NSR rights to previous claim optionors and to Noble (to be registered).
(See Noble's news releases of February 24, 2022 for a more in-depth review of the option terms.)
Vance White President and CEO of Noble commenting on the exercise of the option said, "We are very pleased for Canada Nickel to be earning the 80% interest in the Mann Project, and also pleased with the exploration results encountered to date. We very much look forward to seeing how the project is to be advanced ".
Statement Regarding TSX Venture
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.:
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company which, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd., Go Metals Corp. and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd., and its interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario, will continue to hold ~25,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, as well as an additional 20% interest in ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and ~175 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It will also hold its ~14,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and its ~4,600 hectares in the Boulder Project both near Hearst, Ontario, as well as ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, ~10,152 hectares in the Havre St Pierre Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~518 hectares in the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGM property and ~482 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of which are in the province of Quebec. More detailed information is available on the website at www.noblemineralexploration.com .
Noble's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NOB".
The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company's plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
H. Vance White, President
Phone: 416-214-2250
Fax: 416-367-1954
Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com
Investor Relations
Email: ir@noblemineralexploration.com
Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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Toronto, Ontario TheNewswire - March 8, 2024 Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ( "Noble" or the "Company" ) (TSX-V:NOB, FRANKFURT: NB7, OTCQB:NLPXF) is pleased to announce that the company has completed geophysical surveys on 214 claims in Way Township. The claims extend from about 4 to 15 km southwest of the town of Hearst, Ontario. The property area is equivalent to approximately 4,500 hectares or 45 sq km. The geophysical surveys were done in preparation for a reverse circulation drill program scheduled for the SpringSummer of 2024. The recent geophysical program was partially funded by the Ontario Junior Exploration Program.
Historically, a sample of a metalliferous boulder, brought to the Timmins Mining District Regional Resident Geologist in 2019 by a Mr. A. Cousineau, was submitted for chemical analysis to Geolabs in Sudbury to establish its metal and mineralogical makeup. Geolabs determined that the boulder contained: 71.8% copper; 3.5% lead, 1.09% zinc; 252 g/T of silver, 3.79 g/T of gold; 4.43 g/T of palladium; and 2.22 g/T of platinum and consisted primarily of cuprite (van Hees et al., 2020).
In 2021, Noble launched an exploration program to in an effort to identify the source of the boulder. Basal till samples collected from two fences of hand auger holes, located about 100 m and 1 km north of the boulder, produced 35 gold grains. These gold grains define a southeast-northwest trending dispersion train that indicate they were transported southeast by a glacial transport from a source area located to the northwest. The dispersion train begins near a northeast trending magnetic anomaly. The gold grains are predominantly reshaped (24) but also include modified (7) and pristine (4), supporting evidence of local source.
In 2022 an airborne geophysical survey was flown over the property followed by a ground geophysical survey in November/December 2023. The ground geophysical surveys included 29 line-kilometers of Magnetic, VLF-EM and Induced Polarization Survey. Compilation of the ground geophysics in conjunction with the airborne data was successful in outlining a significant northeast trending magnetic high unit that was traced from the southwest section of the survey block to the northeast corner of the survey block. This unit is represented by a strong magnetic high band that pinches and swells along its strike length, The survey also shows that this main high has been crosscut in a northwest to southeast direction by at least 10 to 11 somewhat narrow magnetic highs that may be indicative of dike like units.
The contour plan map of the first vertical derivative of the total field magnetic definitely enhances the northeast striking magnetic high feature as well as the numerous northwest-southeast narrow crosscutting high features. The approximate location of the mineralized, Cousineau Boulder appears to coincide with a slight bullseye high at the southeast end of one of the northwest striking cross dike like features. The white line will be discussed throughout the report but is suggested at being a possible cross fault system . See Figure 1 below .
Figure 1: First Vertical Derivative of the airborne geophysical survey showing
location of the Cousineau Boulder and a possible cross fault structure (white line)
Work will continue during the 2024 field season including a reverse circulation drill program in the vicinity of the mineralized boulder and along the lines recently surveyed by geophysics.
Vance White, President and CEO of Noble, said "we are pleased with the progress on this property and look forward to the reverse circulation drill program that may give us more clues as to the possible source of this rich boulder."
Figure 2: Photo of the Cousineau Boulder
References:
van Hees, E.H., P. Bousquet, J. Suma-Momoh, C.M. Daniels, S.L.K. Hinz, C. Boucher, P. Sword, L. Wang, S.P. Fudge, A. Millette and C. Patterson, 2020. Report of Activities 2019, Resident Geologist Program, Timmins Regional Resident Geologist Report: Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie Districts; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6366, 160p.
Wayne Holmstead P.Geo (ON), a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Noble.
About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.:
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company which, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd., and its interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario, will continue to hold approximately 40,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, as well as an additional ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and 44,000 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It will also hold its recently acquired Nagagami Carbonatite Complex near Hearst, Ontario, as well as the Buckingham Graphite Property, the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGNM property and the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of which are in the province of Quebec. More detailed information is available on the website at www.noblemineralexploration.com .
Noble's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NOB".
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company's plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks, and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Contacts:
H. Vance White, President
Phone: 416-214-2250
Fax: 416-367-1954
Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com
Investor Relations
Email : ir@noblemineralexploration.com
Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
News Provided by TheNewsWire via QuoteMedia
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Toronto, Ontario February 28, 2024 Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ( "Noble" or the "Company" ) (TSX:NOB ) ( FRANKFURT:NB7 ) ( OTC:NLPXF) is pleased to announce the results of its Annual General and Special Meeting of shareholders held on February 28, 2024. (the " AGM "). At the AGM, the shareholders approved:
the re-election of management's nominees to the Board of Directors, namely: J. Birks Bovaird, Yvan Champagne, Michael Newbury, Samuel Peralta, and H. Vance White (each director being elected with over 95% of votes cast);
the re-appointment of MNP LLP as the Company's auditor for the upcoming year, and also authorized the directors to fix the renumeration of the auditors (approved by approximately 95% of votes cast);
the re-approval of the Amended and Restated 2022 Equity Incentive Plan of the Company (approved by over 95% of votes cast); and
the repeal of all existing by-laws of the Company and confirmation of a new general By-Law no. 1C of the Company (approved by over 94% of votes cast).
Following the AGM, the Board of Directors re-appointed the officers of the Company to the positions they previously held. In addition, the Board confirmed that the Audit Committee would continue to be comprised of Michael Newbury, J. Birks Bovaird and Yvan Champagne, and the ESG, Nominating and Compensation Committee will be comprised of J. Birks Bovaird, Michael Newbury, and Samuel Peralta.
About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.:
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company which, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd., Go Metals Corp. and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd., and its interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario, will continue to hold ~25,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario known as Project 81, as well as an additional ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and ~14,400 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It will also hold its ~14,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and its ~4,600 hectares in the Boulder Project both near Hearst, Ontario, as well as ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, ~10,152 hectares in the Havre St Pierre Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~518 hectares in the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGM property and ~482 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of which are in the province of Quebec. More detailed information is available on the website at www.noblemineralexploration.com .
Noble's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NOB".
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
The foregoing information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company's plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks, and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise .
Contacts:
H. Vance White, President
Phone: 416-214-2250
Fax: 416-367-1954
Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com
Investor Relations: ir@noblemineralexploration.com
Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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February 8, 2024 / TheNewswire / Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ( TSXV:NOB) (FWB:NB7) ( OTC:NLPXF) is providing a link to a news release of today, issued by Canada Nickel Company entitled:
Canada Nickel Company's NetZero Metals Intends to Develop Downstream Nickel & Stainless-Steel Processing Facilities in Timmins Region
Click on the link below
Additionally, Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. has posted a video on its website of Vance White discussing the formation of Canada Nickel Company and his relationship with both Stephen Balch and Mark Selby.
Click on the link below
Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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Toronto, Ontario TheNewswire - February 22, 2024 Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ( "Noble" ) (TSXV:NOB ) ( FRANKFURT:NB7 ) ( OTC:NLPXF) is pleased to report results form drilling completed by Canada Nickel Company Inc. (" Canada Nickel ") on the optioned Mann Twp properties, as reported in the Canada Nickel news release of February 22, 2024, copied below. The Mann Twp properties that are the subject of the news release are subject to an Option and Joint Venture Agreement between Noble and Canada Nickel. That agreement provides Canada Nickel the right to earn up to an 80% interest in the subject properties, with Noble retaining a 20% interest. The results announced by Canada Nickel arise from exploration conducted by Canada Nickel in earning its up to 80% interest.
Canada Nickel Confirms Discovery at Mann Central,
Successfully Completes Initial Drilling at Mann Northwest Property
Highlights
A new discovery, Mann Central, successfully delineated across 2.5 kilometre strike length by six holes
Three additional drill holes at previously announced Mann Northwest discovery, extended mineralization across a 2.7 kilometre strike length
Mann Northwest and Mann Central are two of five targets (others are Mann Southeast, Newmarket and Reaume ) each with a geophysical footprint larger than Crawford, and a combined strike length of over 25 kilometres
TORONTO, February 22, 2024 – Canada Nickel Company Inc. (" Canada Nickel " or the " Company ") (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) is pleased to announce the final set of assay results from its initial exploration program at the Mann Property, a joint venture with Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. ("Noble") whereby Canada Nickel can earn an 80% interest by completing certain cash and share payments and exploration expenditures (see original press release dated November 22, 2021).
Commenting on these initial results, Mark Selby, CEO of Canada Nickel said, "Mann is an exceptionally large property with ultramafic targets extending beyond the township from Reaume through Mann and into Newmarket with a combined target strike length of over 25 kilometres. All fifteen initial holes at these first two targets successfully intersected large intervals of target mineralization. This area will be a focus of our exploration program in 2024. Further details on our 2024 exploration program will be provided at a conference call on Friday, February 23 rd at 11am."
Mann Property
The Mann Property is located 22 kilometres east of Crawford, 20 kilometres south of Cochrane, and 45 kilometres northeast of Timmins, covering Mann Township. The property contains three large ultramafic bodies, each of which has a target geophysical footprint larger than Crawford at 1.6 km 2 . Mann Northwest has a target footprint of 6.0 km 2 ; Mann Central is 3.1 km 2 and Mann Southeast is 4.1 km 2 . Mann Northwest is on same trend to mineralized ultramafics in Reaume Township while Mann Southeast connects to a long ultramafic sill in Newmarket Township, both properties being owned by Canada Nickel. The total trend from Reaume to Newmarket exceeds 25 kilometres as various units.
This press release summarizes drill results from Mann Northwest and Mann Central that were completed during the summer of 2023. Mann Southeast is planned to be drilled during the summer of 2024.
Mann Northwest
The drill program at Mann Northwest consisted of nine drillholes, with all holes intersecting mineralized sections of predominantly well serpentinized peridotite and dunite (see press release August 22, 2023, for results of the first five holes).
Eight of the nine drillholes delineated mineralization along a 2.7 kilometre strike length within a folded structure having a width of at least 500 metres (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The target remains open in all directions. The ninth hole (MAN23-06) was drilled on a north extension of the main target area. The strike length of this sub extension remains to be tested.
Platinum group metals (PGMs) were also intersected in addition to the nickel mineralization. The PGMs are associated with highly serpentinized peridotite-pyroxenite with hole MAN23-13, for example, intersecting interlayered pyroxenite grading 0.43 g/t platinum+palladium (Pt+Pd) over 16.5 metres.
Mann Central
Six drillholes delineated mineralization along a 2,500 metre strike length and over a width of at least 600 metres. The target remains open in all directions. All six drillholes intersected strongly serpentinized peridotite-dunite, with visible nickel mineralization. PGMs were also intersected in Mann Central within a pyroxenite horizon with hole MAN23-11 intersecting 0.55 g/t Pt+Pd over 28.5 metres.
Table 1 – Mann drilling downhole composites.
Hole ID | From (m) | To (m) | Length (m) | Ni % | Co % | Pd g/t | Pt g/t | Cr % | Fe % | S % |
MANN NORTHWEST | ||||||||||
MAN23-06 | 6.9 | 402.0 | 395.1 | 0.20 | 0.01 | 0.007 | 0.010 | 0.39 | 7.18 | 0.04 |
MAN23-13 | 40.5 | 152.4 | 111.9 | 0.20 | 0.01 | 0.023 | 0.015 | 0.43 | 6.88 | 0.06 |
and | 166.5 | 183.0 | 16.5 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.263 | 0.166 | 0.41 | 4.32 | 0.02 |
and | 185.5 | 444.0 | 258.5 | 0.20 | 0.01 | 0.003 | 0.004 | 0.40 | 7.23 | 0.02 |
MAN23-14 | 30.0 | 420.0 | 390.0 | 0.23 | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.007 | 0.22 | 5.96 | 0.03 |
MAN23-15 | 36.0 | 298.5 | 262.5 | 0.15 | 0.01 | 0.020 | 0.018 | 0.30 | 6.94 | 0.06 |
and | 357.4 | 450.0 | 92.6 | 0.21 | 0.01 | 0.025 | 0.025 | 0.29 | 6.51 | 0.11 |
MANN CENTRAL | ||||||||||
MAN23-07 | 80.4 | 266.5 | 186.1 | 0.24 | 0.01 | 0.004 | 0.007 | 0.17 | 6.16 | 0.10 |
and | 283.5 | 444.0 | 160.5 | 0.24 | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.007 | 0.17 | 6.22 | 0.02 |
MAN23-08 | 39.1 | 396.0 | 356.9 | 0.22 | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.007 | 0.39 | 6.69 | 0.04 |
MAN23-09 | 96.0 | 402.0 | 306.0 | 0.21 | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.006 | 0.25 | 6.59 | 0.16 |
including | 202.5 | 258.4 | 55.9 | 0.25 | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.007 | 0.12 | 6.31 | 0.12 |
MAN23-10 | 11.5 | 402.0 | 390.5 | 0.21 | 0.01 | 0.004 | 0.007 | 0.45 | 7.17 | 0.04 |
MAN23-11 | 10.5 | 402.0 | 391.5 | 0.17 | 0.01 | 0.028 | 0.022 | 0.36 | 6.89 | 0.03 |
including | 117.0 | 145.5 | 28.5 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.330 | 0.220 | 0.34 | 5.32 | 0.02 |
and | 157.7 | 306.0 | 148.3 | 0.22 | 0.01 | 0.003 | 0.004 | 0.33 | 6.82 | 0.03 |
MAN23-12 | 14.8 | 402.0 | 387.2 | 0.22 | 0.01 | 0.003 | 0.005 | 0.32 | 6.23 | 0.03 |
*True width undetermined. All lengths are drillhole lengths.
Figure 1 –Mann Northwest and Central – CNC Drillholes Over Total Magnetic Intensity.
Table 2: Drillhole Orientation
Hole ID | Zone | Easting (mE) | Northing (mN) | Azimuth (⁰) | Dip (⁰) | Length (m) |
MAN23-01 | NW | 495641 | 5412486 | 235 | -50 | 432 |
MAN23-02 | NW | 495967 | 5412226 | 235 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-03 | NW | 495967 | 5412226 | 35 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-04 | NW | 496257 | 5411972 | 235 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-05 | NW | 495360 | 5412699 | 225 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-06 | NW | 499728 | 5413633 | 0 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-07 | CE | 498762 | 5410346 | 345 | -50 | 444 |
MAN23-08 | CE | 498762 | 5410346 | 180 | -50 | 396 |
MAN23-09 | CE | 499200 | 5410800 | 160 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-10 | CE | 497600 | 5410380 | 0 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-11 | CE | 497600 | 5410380 | 180 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-12 | CE | 496800 | 5410171 | 0 | -50 | 402 |
MAN23-13 | NW | 494930 | 5413340 | 240 | -50 | 444 |
MAN23-14 | NW | 494429 | 5413990 | 62 | -50 | 420 |
MAN23-15 | NW | 494845 | 5413725 | 60 | -50 | 450 |
Statement Regarding TSX Venture
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Quality Assurance and Control, Drilling and Assaying
Edwin Escarraga, MSc, P.Geo., a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, is responsible for the on-going drilling and sampling program, including quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). The core is collected from the drill in sealed core trays and transported to the core logging facility. The core is marked and sampled at 1.5 metre lengths and cut with a diamond blade saw. One set of samples is transported in secured bags directly from the Canada Nickel core shack to Actlabs Timmins, while a second set of samples is securely shipped to SGS Lakefield for preparation, with analysis performed at SGS Burnaby or SGS Callao (Peru). All are ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs. Analysis for precious metals (gold, platinum and palladium) are completed by Fire Assay while analysis for nickel, cobalt, sulphur and other elements are performed using a peroxide fusion and ICP-OES analysis. Certified standards and blanks are inserted at a rate of 3 QA/QC samples per 20 core samples making a batch of 60 samples that are submitted for analysis.
Qualified Person and Data Verification
Stephen J. Balch P.Geo. (ON), VP Exploration of Canada Nickel and a "qualified person" as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc.
Mr. Balch has approved Noble's reissuance of the extracted disclosure from Canada Nickel's news release as contained in this news release.
Vance White President & CEO of Noble said "we are very pleased with the results on the Mann Twp option to date and look forward to advancing this project.
About Noble Mineral Exploration Inc.
Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company that, in addition to its shareholdings in Canada Nickel Company Inc., Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd., Go Metals Corp., and MacDonald Mines Exploration Ltd. It also has an interest in the Holdsworth gold exploration property in the area of Wawa, Ontario. It continues to hold ~25,000 hectares of mineral rights in the Timmins-Cochrane areas of Northern Ontario, known as Project 81, as well as an additional ~11,000 hectares in the Timmins area and ~14,400 hectares of mining claims in Central Newfoundland. Project 81 hosts diversified drill-ready gold, nickel-cobalt, and base metal exploration targets at various stages of exploration. It also holds ~14,600 hectares in the Nagagami Carbonatite Complex and ~4,600 hectares in the Boulder Project near Hearst, Ontario. In addition, Noble has ~482 hectares in the Cere-Villebon Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~3,700 hectares in the Buckingham Graphite Property, ~10,152 hectares in a Havre St Pierre Nickel, Copper, PGM property, ~518 hectares in the Laverlochere Nickel, Copper, PGM property, all of these are in the Province of Quebec. More detailed information can be found on Noble's website at:
https://www.noblemineralexploration.com
Noble's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NOB".
Cautionary Statement
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission, or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
The preceding information may contain forward-looking statements relating to the future performance of Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. Forward-looking statements, specifically those concerning future performance, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the Company's plans and expectations. These plans, expectations, risks, and uncertainties are detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with the TSX Venture Exchange and securities regulators. Noble Mineral Exploration Inc. does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contacts
H. Vance White, President
Phone: 416-214-2250
Fax: 416-367-1954
Email: info@noblemineralexploration.com
Investor Relations: ir@noblemineralexploration.com
Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX: BSX) (“Blackstone” or the “Company”), Yulho Co. Ltd (“Yulho”) and EN Plus Co. Ltd (“EN Plus”) (together, “the Parties”), have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to explore one or more strategic Joint Ventures (“JV”).
HIGHLIGHTS
CORPORATE
Blackstone, Yulho and EN Plus Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Develop a Global Nickel Business
The MOU aims to establish a collaboration across the businesses including EN Plus and Yulho who are in JV on the Ntaka Hill nickel sulphide project in Tanzania, and the Dinagat Island nickel laterite project in the Philippines.
Figure 1: Scott Williamson, Managing Director, Mr Yongin Choi, EN Plus CEO and Dr. Hyunkuk JE, Yulho Vice President
The Parties will investigate the feasibility of establishing a strategic partnership, focusing on the following project specifics:
1. Yulho, via the creation of a joint venture in Tanzania, will engage in nickel mining, primarily to supply concentrate to Blackstone's facilities in Vietnam.
2. Blackstone's Vietnamese refining facility will be tasked with producing NCM811 precursor.
Yulho Overview
Yulho is a company that specialises in providing comprehensive IT infrastructure solutions encompassing servers, storage, networking, virtualization, and cloud computing. It was acquired by EN Plus in December 2023. Yulho will be the holding company for EN Plus’s mining and battery materials businesses which currently include the Ntaka Hill nickel sulphide project in Tanzania, and the Dinagat Island nickel laterite project in the Philippines.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Blackstone Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Stainless steel accounts for the vast majority of nickel demand, but electric vehicle (EV) batteries represent a growing application for the base metal as the shift toward a greener future gains steam.
But while nickel's long-term outlook appears bright, it may face headwinds in the short term. After a tough 2023, experts are projecting a surplus this year as weak usage coincides with strong output from top producer Indonesia.
What other dynamics are affecting nickel supply? If you're interested in getting exposure to the market, you should be aware of the factors at play. To get you started, here's a look at the top nickel-producing countries.
Figures are based on the latest US Geological Survey data. Read on to learn more.
Mine production: 1.8 million MT
Claiming first place for production by a long shot, Indonesia is a prime example of a country wanting to get in on the exploding market for nickel. Its output of the base metal has grown tremendously from 2017’s number of 345,000 metric tons (MT) to a whopping 1.8 million MT in 2023. Indonesia also hosts 55 million MT of nickel reserves.
The nation is actively building out its EV battery industry, and Indonesia's close proximity to China, the world’s current leader in EV manufacturing, makes for an ideal setup. In May 2021, the country welcomed the commissioning of its first plant to process nickel for use in EV batteries. Dozens more such projects are reportedly in the pipeline, according to East Asia Forum. "In just three years, Indonesia has signed more than a dozen deals worth more than $15 billion for battery materials and EV production with global manufacturers," Euronews reported.
Major auto maker Ford (NYSE:F) announced in December 2023 that it is taking a direct stake in the proposed Pomalaa battery nickel plant, which is slated to begin production in 2026.
Mine production: 400,000 MT
The Philippines has been one of the top nickel-producing countries for quite some time, as well as a nickel ore exporter. Another country with close proximity to China, the Philippines currently has more than 30 nickel mines, including Rio Tuba, operated by Nickel Asia, one of the nation’s top nickel ore producers. After taking a small hit between 2017 and 2018, when nickel production fell from 366,000 MT to 340,000 MT, the Philippines increased its nickel output to 420,000 MT in 2019. The upward trend was seemingly short-lived as the country continues to deal with record rainfall that has flooded mining operations. In 2022, the archipelagic country saw its nickel output slip to 345,000 MT.
2023 was a big year for recovery as the country's nickel mines managed to increase their output to 400,000 MT. That resurgence could continue as two of the Philippines' biggest nickel producers, Nickel Asia and Global Ferronickel, are planning to invest about a combined US$2 billion to build new nickel-processing plants, as per Bloomberg.
Mine production: 230,000 MT
The economy of this French territory just off the coast of Australia depends heavily on the price of nickel. Although its production has decreased in recent years, dropping from 220,000 MT in 2019 to 190,000 MT in 2022, output picked up steam in 2023 to land at 230,000 MT, giving New Caledonia the third spot over Russia.
More recently, New Caledonia’s nickel industry has been plagued by rising energy costs and sociopolitical unrest. This February, major miner Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) made the decision to shutter its Koniambo nickel mine and put it up for sale. The company cited high operating costs and a weak nickel market.
Given these circumstances, the French government has offered a 200 million euro bailout package for New Caledonia’s nickel industry. But the move hasn't gone as planned, with trader Trafigura deciding not to contribute to the bailout of Prony Resources Nouvelle-Calednie and the Goro mine, in which it has a 19 percent stake.
As of mid-April, the situation remained in limbo.
Mine production: 220,000 MT
Even though it holds the fourth spot on this list of the world's top nickel producers, Russia has seen its nickel output drop in the past few years. In 2018, the nation’s nickel output totaled 272,000 MT, but it came in at 220,000 MT in 2023.
Russia’s Norilsk Nickel (OTC Pink:NILSY,MCX:GMKN) is one of the world’s largest nickel and palladium producers. Nornickel owns nickel reserves on the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia and the Kola Peninsula in Northwest Russia.The company saw its production decline by 5 percent in 2023, and is expecting further declines in 2024, reported Retuers. "In 2024, we expect that risks related to an adverse geopolitical situation will continue to impact our operations," said Senior Vice President and Operational Director Sergey Stepanov. "Furthermore, this year we are planning capital repairs of the flash smelting furnace #2 at Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant."
Mine production: 180,000 MT
Canada’s nickel production declined from 180,000 MT in 2019 to 143,000 MT in 2022. However, its nickel producers turned it around in 2023 to yet again post 180,000 MT in output of the metal. The country’s Sudbury Basin is the second largest supplier of nickel ore in the world, and Vale’s (NYSE:VALE) Sudbury operation is located there.
Another key nickel producer in Canada is Glencore, which owns the Raglan mine in Québec, as well as the Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations in Ontario. The major miner's Sudbury site includes the Nickel Rim South mine, the Fraser mine, the Strathcona mill and the Sudbury smelter.
In February, Canada Nickel Company (TSXV:CNC,OTCQX:CNIKF) said it is planning to develop a US$1 billion nickel processing plant in Ontario, which once complete would be North America’s largest.
Canada's nickel industry stands to benefit from the US Inflation Reduction Act which promotes the sourcing of critical minerals for EV batteries from countries with which the US has free trade agreements or bilateral agreements.
Mine production: 160,000 MT
Australia, another top nickel-producing country, saw its production increase slightly from 155,000 MT in 2022 to 160,000 MT in 2023. One top miner in the country is BHP (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) with its Nickel West division.
Australia's largest nickel mines also include First Quantum Minerals' (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) Ravensthorpe, and Glencore's Murrin Murrin. Low prices have wreaked havoc on nickel mining in the country, leading to reduced or sidelined operations at six different nickel facilities in the country starting in December 2023, including Ravensthorpe. The situation was enough to prompt the Australian government to add nickel to its critical minerals list.
Like Canada, Australia is considered a potential benefactor of the US Inflation Reduction Act's emphasis on sourcing battery materials from nations with free trade agreements or bilateral agreements with the US.
Mine production: 110,000 MT
China’s nickel production has remained relatively consistent in recent years. In addition to being a top nickel-producing country, China is the world’s leading producer of nickel pig iron, a low-grade ferronickel used in stainless steel. Jinchuan Group, a subsidiary of Jinchuan Group International Resources (HKEX:2362), is a large nickel producer in China.
China's key role in stainless steel production means that it also influences nickel price dynamics. This was a key factor in 2023 as Indonesia's surplus weighed on the market, as China is a major importer of the country's nickel.
According to a US Geological Survey report, by early 2023, "the surplus had cascaded into an excess of nickel sulfate causing numerous companies in China to convert nickel sulfate to Class I metal, which was expected to add more than 150,000 tons of Class I metal capacity by yearend 2024."
Mine production: 89,000 MT
In recent years, Brazil’s nickel production has trended upward from 74,400 MT in 2019 to 89,000 MT in 2023. Brazil’s nickel project pipeline has a planned CAPEX of US$1.06 billion through 2025.
Vale, a major producer based in Brazil, sold the Jaguar nickel project in the Carajás mineral province to Centaurus Metals (ASX:CTM,OTCQX:CTTZF) in April 2020. The project hosts a resource of 40.4 million MT at 0.78 percent nickel, totaling 315,000 MT of contained nickel. Jaguar was one of three mining projects selected by the Brazilian government to receive support in obtaining environmental licenses.
Mine production: 17,000 MT
Lastly, US nickel production has increased from 2019’s mark of 14,000 MT to 17,000 MT in 2023. The Eagle mine is the only primary nickel-mining property in the US. The asset, located on the Yellow Dog Plains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, is a small, high-grade nickel-copper mine owned by Lundin Mining (TSX:LUN,OTC Pink:LUNMF).
Nickel is included on the US' critical minerals list, and in September 2023, under the Defense Production Act, the US Department of Defense awarded US$20.6 million to Talon Metals (TSX:TLO,OTC Pink:TLOFF) for further exploration and mineral resource definition at its Tamarack nickel-copper-cobalt project in Minnesota.
How nickel is mined and processed depends upon many factors, such as the size, grade, morphology and depth of the nickel deposit that's under consideration. While lateritic nickel deposits are generally mined from open pits via strip mining, sulfide nickel deposits are often mined using underground extraction methods.
After mining, nickel ore is processed into higher-grade concentrates through crushing and separating nickel-bearing material from other minerals using various physical and chemical processing methods. Next, the concentrates are smelted in a furnace before the final stage of refinement using pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes.
Nickel mining involves serious environmental concerns, including air and water pollution, habitat destruction, community displacement, wildlife migration pattern disturbances, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon-intensive energy use. Nickel-mining companies looking to supply the EV market are feeling the pressure to lessen the environmental footprint of their operations.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Canada Nickel Company is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
Five times the amount of nickel will be needed to meet global demand by 2050. Don't miss out on investing in a metal that is crucial to the EV revolution!
The Investing News Network spoke with analysts, market watchers and insiders to get the scoop on the trends and stocks that you need to watch to stay ahead of the markets in 2024.
✓ Trends | ✓ Forecasts | ✓ Top Stocks |
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“Global nickel consumption is expected to increase due to recovery of the stainless steel sector and increased usage of nickel in EV batteries. Batteries now account for almost 17 percent of total nickel demand, behind stainless steel."
— Ewa Manthey, ING
"While LME nickel prices are expected to find support from a weaker US dollar in 2024 as the Federal Reserve eases monetary policy, we expect prices to remain subdued as further primary nickel output growth from Indonesia and China keeps the market in a surplus for the third consecutive year."
— Jason Sappor, S&P Global Commodity Insights.
The Investing News Network is a growing network of authoritative publications delivering independent, unbiased news and education for investors. We deliver knowledgeable, carefully curated coverage of a variety of markets including gold, cannabis, biotech and many others. This means you read nothing but the best from the entire world of investing advice, and never have to waste your valuable time doing hours, days or weeks of research yourself.
At the same time, not a single word of the content we choose for you is paid for by any company or investment advisor: We choose our content based solely on its informational and educational value to you, the investor.
So if you are looking for a way to diversify your portfolio amidst political and financial instability, this is the place to start. Right now.
Nickel Price 2023 Year-End Review
Nickel Price Forecast: Top Trends That Will Impact Nickel in 2024
Nickel soared to its highest price ever in 2022, breaking through US$100,000 per metric ton (MT).
2023 was a different story. As governments worked to combat inflation and investors faced considerable uncertainty, commodities saw a great deal of volatility. Nickel was no exception, especially in the first half of the year.
Ultimately the base metal couldn't hold onto 2022's momentum and has spent the last 12 months trending downward. Read on to learn what trends impacted the nickel sector in 2023, moving supply, demand and pricing.
Nickel price from January 2, 2023, to December 29, 2023.
Chart via Trading Economics.
Nickel opened 2023 at US$31,238.53 on January 2, riding on the back of momentum that started in Q4 2022, and flirted with the US$31,000 mark again on January 30. As January closed, the metal began to retreat, and by March 22 nickel had reached a quarterly low of US$22,499.53. It made slight gains in April and May, but spent the rest of the year in decline, reaching a yearly low of US$15,843 on November 26. In the final month of the year, the nickel price largely fluctuated between US$16,000 and US$17,000 before closing the year at US$16,375, much lower than where it started.
Despite nickel's return to normal price levels, 2022's rise to more than US$100,000 made more headlines this past year. The substantial increase came after a short squeeze, and the London Metal Exchange (LME) was criticized by some market participants for halting trading and canceling US$12 billion in contracts.
In June 2023, Jane Street Global Trading and hedge fund Elliott Associates filed a lawsuit for US$472 million in compensation for the canceled trades, stating that the LME acted unlawfully. However, judgment came down in favor of the LME on November 29. Elliott Associates has been granted permission to appeal the decision, which it intends to do.
At the end of 2022, analysts were predicting that nickel would enter oversupply territory due to increased production, primarily from Indonesia and China. Speaking to the Investing News Network (INN) at the time, Ewa Manthy of ING commented, "We believe rising output in Indonesia will pressure nickel prices next year."
This prediction came true — production surpluses continued to be a theme in 2023, weighing on prices.
Indonesia continued its aggressive increase in nickel production, more than doubling the 771,000 MT it produced in 2020. A forecast from an Indonesian government official in early December indicates the country is on track to reach production in the 1.65 million to 1.75 million MT range, further adding to a growing supply glut.
In an email to INN, Jason Sappor of S&P Global Commodity Insights said nickel was the worst-performing metal in 2023 due to expanding supply. “We consequently expect the global primary nickel market surplus to expand to 221,000 MT in 2023. This would be the largest global primary nickel market surplus in 10 years, according to our estimates,” he said.
The reason for Indonesia's higher output in recent years is that the country has been working to gain greater value through the production chain, and in 2020 strictly regulated export of raw nickel ore. This decision forced refining and smelting initiatives in the country to ramp up rapidly and brought in foreign investment.
In H2, Indonesia's attempts to combat illegal mining led to delays in its mining output quota application system. While the country originally said it would begin to process applications again in 2024, lack of supply forced steel producers to purchase nickel ore from the Philippines to meet demand, and Indonesia ultimately issued temporary quotas for Q4.
Supply is only part of the problem for nickel. Coming into 2023, Manthy suggested demand would be impacted by China’s zero-COVID policy, which had been affecting the country's real estate sector. “China’s relaxation of its COVID policy would have a significant effect on the steel market, and by extension on the nickel market,” she said.
This idea was echoed by analysts at FocusEconomics, who noted, “The resilience of the Chinese economy and the country’s handling of new COVID-19 outbreaks are key factors to watch.”
While China ended its zero-COVID policy in December 2022, the year that followed was less than ideal for the country, with sharp declines in real estate sales and two major developers seeing continued troubles. In August, China Evergrande Group (HKEX:3333) filed for bankruptcy in the US, and at the end of October, Country Garden Holdings (OTC Pink:CTRYF,HKEX:2007) defaulted on its debt. Because the Chinese real estate sector is a major driver of steel demand, this has had a dramatic impact on nickel and is one of the primary causes for its price retreat.
There have also been wider implications for the Chinese economy. Deflation has been triggered in the country as its outsized property sector implodes, with downstream effects for the more than 50 million people employed in the construction industry. Some, including the International Monetary Fund and Japanese officials, have compared the situation in China to Japan in the 1990s, when that country’s housing bubble burst and created economic turmoil.
With uncertainty rife, China’s central bank still isn’t ready to begin cuts on its key five year loan prime interest rate, but it has been working to improve market liquidity to stimulate real estate sector growth. In aid of that, it cut the reserve requirement ratio by 25 basis points twice in 2023, lowering the amount of cash reserves banks have to keep on hand.
So far, these stimulus efforts haven’t had much effect on the real estate market, and its continued struggles have ensured that commodities attached to the sector, including nickel, are still trading at depressed prices. China has vowed to continue to work on its fiscal policy by removing purchasing restrictions on home buying and providing better access to funding for real estate developers.
Nickel is one of many metals that has been labeled as critical to the transition to a low-carbon future. It’s essential as a cathode in the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and when INN spoke to Rodney Hooper of RK Equity at the end of 2022, he noted that people were initially quite conservative on their estimates of EV sales.
However, that's now begun to change. “That’s all turned on its head now. EVs represent a big percentage of nickel demand, and they will continue to rise going forward," Hooper explained at the time.
While the EV outlook remains bright, the sector hasn’t grown fast enough to make up for declining steel sector demand for nickel. And with limited charging infrastructure, range concerns and the effects of higher-for-longer interest rates, EV sales slowed in 2023. The slowdown is welcome news for battery makers as it will allow them time to build out factories and further develop technology, but it’s not good for investors and producers of nickel looking for pricing gains.
2023 wasn’t a great year for nickel. It faced increasing supply against lowered demand from both the Chinese real estate sector and slower EV sales. The rebound in the Chinese economy that was hoped for after COVID-19 restrictions were removed never occurred, and instead it has regressed further, pushing into deflationary territory.
Nickel investors may feel a little stung at the close of the year, especially as uncertainty in the market persists.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Nickel started 2023 high after a rally at the end of 2022, but supply and demand pressures saw the base metal's price decline throughout the year to close nearly 50 percent lower at US$16,375 per metric ton (MT).
Production has increased rapidly in recent years, and oversupply played a big role in nickel's 2023 price dynamics. Indonesia in particular has ramped up its output and now accounts for more than 50 percent of global nickel supply.
Excess supply was compounded by weak demand out of China, which has continued to struggle since ending its zero-COVID policy in January. China's central bank is now working to stimulate the economy to prevent runaway deflation.
What does 2024 have in store for nickel? The Investing News Network (INN) spoke to experts about what could happen to the metal in the next year in terms of supply, demand and price. Read on to learn their thoughts.
Nickel is coming into the year with a holdover surplus from 2023. This glut has mainly come from an increase in Class 2, lower-purity nickel produced in Indonesia, but it's also been driven by an increase in the production of Class 1, higher-purity product from China. The former category, which includes nickel pig iron and ferronickel, is used in products such as steel, while the latter is necessary to create nickel sulfate and nickel cathodes for electric vehicles (EVs).
Against that backdrop of higher supply, both nickel products have also faced decreased demand.
The resulting oversupply concerns have been reflected in core metals markets, and Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at ING, told INN that nickel has the largest short position of the six London Metal Exchange (LME) base metals.
“This buildup is making nickel vulnerable to violent price spikes should inventors unwind their short positions,” she said. This type of situation occurred in 2022, when the nickel price catapulted rapidly to over US$100,000 before the exchange canceled billions of dollars in trades and suspended nickel trading. The LME’s approach to the situation has been criticized, but was recently ruled lawful by London’s High Court of Justice.
The International Nickel Study Group (INSG), an intergovernmental body consisting of government and industry representatives, met in October to discuss the current state and outlook for the nickel market.
At the time, the group forecast that surplus conditions would continue into 2024, with oversupply reaching 239,000 MT on the back of increases in nickel pig iron output from Indonesia. Meanwhile, decreases in nickel pig iron production from China are expected to be offset by increases in nickel cathode and nickel sulfate production.
Even though the INSG expects demand to grow from 3.195 million MT in 2023 to 3.474 million MT in 2024, production is still anticipated to be higher, rising from from 3.417 million MT in 2023 to 3.713 million MT in 2024.
At the outset of 2023, experts thought Chinese demand for nickel would increase as the country ended its strict zero-COVID policy. China's construction industry is a key consumer of nickel, which is used to make stainless steel.
However, the recovery was slower than predicted, and demand from the real estate sector never materialized.
“China’s flagging recovery following COVID lockdowns has hurt the country’s construction sector and has weighed on demand for nickel this year,” Manthey explained to INN.
While the lack of recovery in China’s real estate sector negatively impacted nickel demand and pricing through 2023, according to Fitch Ratings’ China Property Developers Outlook 2024, the country has been targeting construction and development policy in higher-tier cities and injecting liquidity in the market. This has largely been a balancing act as it tries to stem deflation in its market and battles with inflation globally.
If China's efforts to provide real estate sector support are successful that could be a boon for the nickel price. But as 2024 begins, more economists are forecasting a continued downtrend in the Chinese economy.
Even so, the INSG's October forecast indicated that demand for stainless steel was set to grow in the second half of 2023, and the group was calling for further growth in 2024.
While the Chinese real estate market is a key factor in nickel demand, it's not the only one.
The expanding EV sector is also a growing purchaser of nickel. “Global nickel consumption is expected to increase due to recovery of the stainless steel sector and increased usage of nickel in EV batteries,” Manthey said. “Batteries now account for almost 17 percent of total nickel demand, behind stainless steel.”
As a cathode material in EV batteries, nickel has become a critical component in the transition away from fossil fuels, which the expert anticipates will help its price in the future.
“The metal’s appeal to investors as a key green metal will support higher prices in the longer term,” she said.
While demand for battery-grade nickel is predicted to grow over the next few years as the metal is used in the prolific nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathodes, manufacturers and scientists have been working to find alternatives that don’t rely on nickel and cobalt due to environmental and human rights concerns, as well as the high costs of these cathodes.
Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries have become a contender in recent years, growing in popularity in Asia and seeing uptake from major EV producers like Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), owing to their longer lifespans and lower production costs. However, because of their lower range, LFP batteries have low demand in regions such as North America, where the ability to drive long distances is an important factor in purchase decisions.
This means that for now, NMC batteries will remain an essential part of the EV landscape.
EV demand has also declined recently as the industry faces headwinds that have soured consumer interest, including charging infrastructure shortfalls, inconsistent supply chains and elevated interest rates. These factors are already starting to have an impact, with Ford (NYSE:F) and GM (NYSE:GM), among others, cutting production forecasts for 2024.
Following its near 50 percent drop in 2023, the nickel price is expected to be rangebound for most of 2024.
“While LME nickel prices are expected to find support from a weaker US dollar in 2024 as the Fed eases monetary policy, we expect prices to remain subdued next year as further primary nickel output growth from Indonesia and China keeps the market in a surplus for the third consecutive year,” said Jason Sappor of S&P Global Commodity Insights.
Manthey agreed that the price is likely to stay flat. “We see prices averaging US$16,600 in Q1, with prices gradually moving up to average US$17,000. We forecast an average of US$16,813 in 2024,” she said. Manthey also noted that nickel is set to remain elevated compared to average levels before the short squeeze in March 2022.
Sappor suggested that the nickel surplus and the metal's rangebound price may prompt producers to reduce their output. “Nickel prices have sunk deeper into the global production cost curve, raising the possibility that the market could be hit by price-supportive mine supply curtailments,” he said.
At this time there is no indication that producers will ease production next year, and Vale (NYSE:VALE), one of the world’s top nickel miners, is expecting its Indonesian subsidiary to produce slightly more versus 2023.
Much like the rest of the mining industry, nickel is being affected by broad macroeconomic forces in the post-COVID era. Higher interest rates are stymying investment across the mining industry, while also lowering demand for big-ticket items like real estate and cars, which help to drive demand for metals.
For nickel, this means another year of oversupply. A potential rebound in the Chinese real estate market and increased demand from upfront tax credits for EVs could shift its trajectory, but the headwinds in 2024 look to be strong.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Blackstone Minerals, Falcon Gold and FPX Nickel are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Additional information on Nickel stocks investing — FREEAfter a difficult 2023, Q1 saw a variety of factors affect the nickel price, including supply cuts from western producers.
At the start of the year, experts were predicting that nickel prices would be rangebound in 2024.
With the first quarter in the books, that story seems to largely be playing out. After opening the year at US$16,600 per metric ton (MT) on January 2, nickel was stable during January and February. However, March brought volatility to the sector, with strong gains pushing the base metal to a quarterly high of US$18,165 on March 13.
Nickel's price rise failed to hold, and it once again dropped below the US$17,000 mark by the end of the month. Ultimately, the metal fell to US$16,565 on March 28, resulting in a slight loss for the quarter.
Lackluster pricing in the nickel market is largely the result of the metal's ongoing oversupply position.
The largest factor is elevated production from Indonesia, which is the top producer of the metal by far. The country produced 1.8 million MT of nickel in 2023, according to the US Geological Survey, representing half of global supply.
Indonesia's output has climbed exponentially over the past decade, and has been exacerbated by government initiatives that placed strict limits on the export of raw materials to encourage investment in production and refinement.
In an email to the Investing News Network (INN), Exploration Insights Editor Joe Mazumdar wrote, “The growth in electric vehicle (EV) production and the escalating demand for nickel in batteries prompted the Indonesian government to mandate increased local refining and manufacturing capacity from companies operating in the country.”
Despite the lower quality of material coming from Indonesia, the investment was made to shore up supply lines for Chinese battery makers and was earmarked for EV production. However, EV demand has waned through 2023 and into 2024 due to high interest rates, range anxiety and charging capacity, increasing nickel stockpiles.
A report on the nickel market provided by Jason Sappor, senior analyst with the metals and mining research team at S&P Global Commodity Insights, shows that short positions began to accumulate through February and early March on speculation that Indonesian producers were cutting operating rates due to a lack of raw material from mines.
The lack of mined nickel, which helped push prices up, was caused by delays from a new government approval process for mining output quotas that was implemented by Indonesia in September 2023. The new system will allow mining companies to apply for approvals every three years instead of every year. However, the implementation has been slow, and faced further delays while the country went through general elections.
The nickel market found additional support on speculation that the US government was eyeing sanctions on nickel supply out of Russia. Base metals were ultimately not included in the late February sanctions, and prices for the metal began to decline through the end of March as Indonesian quota approvals accelerated.
According to Macquarie Capital data provided by Mazumdar, 35 percent of nickel production is unprofitable at prices below US$18,000, with that number jumping to 75 percent at the US$15,000 level.
Mazumdar indicated that nickel pricing challenges have led to cuts from Australian producers like First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) and Wyloo Metals, which both announced the suspension of their respective Ravensthorpe and Kambalda nickel-mining operations. Additionally, major Australian nickel producer BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) is considering cuts of its own.
Nickel price, Q1 2024.
Chart via the London Metal Exchange.
Meanwhile, the nickel industry in French territory New Caledonia is facing severe difficulties due to faltering prices.
The French government has been in talks with Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF), Eramet (EPA:ERA) and raw materials trader Trafigura, which have significant stakes in nickel producers in the country, and has offered a 200 million euro bailout package for the nation's nickel industry. The French government set a March 28 deadline for New Caledonia to agree to its rescue package, but a decision had not yet been reached as of April 11.
Earlier this year, Glencore announced plans to shutter and search for a buyer for its New Caledonia-based Koniambo Nickel operation, which it said has yet to turn a profit and is unsustainable even with government assistance.
For its part, Trafigura has declined to contribute bailout capital for its 19 percent stake in Prony Resources Nouvelle-Caledonie and its Goro mine in the territory, which is forcing Prony to find a new investor before it will be able to secure government funding. On April 10, Eramet reached its own deal with France for its subsidiary SLN’s nickel operations in New Caledonia; the transaction will see the company extend financial guarantees to SLN.
The situation has exacerbated tensions over New Caledonia's independence from France, with opponents of the agreement arguing it risks the territory's sovereignty and that the mining companies aren’t contributing enough to bailing out the mines, which employ thousands. Reports on April 10 indicate that protests have turned violent.
While cuts from Australian and New Caledonian miners aren’t expected to shift the market away from its surplus position, Mazumdar expects it will help to maintain some price stability in the market.
“The most recent forecast projects demand (7 percent CAGR) will grow at a slower pace than supply (8 percent CAGR) over the next several years, which should generate more market surpluses,” he said.
In an email to INN, Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at financial services provider ING, suggested western nickel producers are in a challenging position, even as they make cuts to production.
“The recent supply curtailments also limit the supply alternatives to the dominance of Indonesia, where the majority of production is backed by Chinese investment. This comes at a time when the US and the EU are looking to reduce their dependence on third countries to access critical raw materials, including nickel,” she said.
This was affirmed by Mazumdar, who said the US is working to combat the situation through a series of subsidies designed to encourage western producers and aid in the development of new critical minerals projects.
“The US Inflation Reduction Act promotes via subsidies sourcing of critical minerals and EV parts from countries with which it has a free trade agreement or a bilateral agreement. Indonesia and China do not have free trade agreements with the US,” he said. Mazumdar went on to suggest that the biggest benefactors of this plan will be Australia and Canada, but noted that with prices remaining depressed, multibillion-dollar projects will struggle to get off the ground.
Western producer shope their material may eventually see a "green nickel" premium that plays into their focus on ESG. However, this idea hasn’t gained much traction. The London Metal Exchange (LME) believes the green nickel market is too small to warrant its own futures contract, and Mazumdar said much the same. “There is little evidence that a premium for ‘green nickel’ producers or developers has much momentum, although an operation with low carbon emissions may have a better chance of getting funding from institutional investors in western countries,” he noted.
Even though there might not be much interest in green nickel on the LME, there are vocal proponents, including Wyloo’s CEO, Luca Giacovazzi. He sees the premium as being essential for the industry, and has said participants should be looking for a new marketplace if the LME is unwilling to pursue a separate listing for green nickel.
The calls for a premium have largely come from western producers that incur higher labor and production costs to meet ESG initiatives, which is happening less amongst their counterparts in China, Indonesia and Russia.
Western producers were caught off guard early in March as PT CNGR Ding Xing New Energy, a joint venture between China’s CNGR Advanced Material (SHA:300919) and Indonesia’s Rigqueza International, applied to be listed as a “good delivery brand” on the LME. The designation would allow the company, which produces Class 1 nickel, to be recognized as meeting responsible sourcing guidelines set by the LME.
If it is approved, which is considered likely, the company would be the first Indonesian firm to be represented on the LME. There has been pushback from western miners on the basis of ESG and responsible resourcing challenges.
As the nickel market faces strong production from Indonesia, experts expect more of the same for prices.
“Looking ahead, we believe nickel prices are likely to remain under pressure, at least in the near term, amid a weak macro picture and a sustained market surplus,” Manthey said. The continued surplus may provide some opportunities for investors looking to get into a critical minerals play at a lower cost, but a reversal may take some time.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Which Canadian nickel companies are up the most so far in 2024? The Investing News Network looks at the top-gaining nickel stocks this year.
Nickel has been trending down since early 2023, and bearish sentiment still pervades the market in 2024 even though prices for the base metal tacked upward in mid-March and early April.
Supply is expected to outflank demand over the short term, but the longer-term outlook for the metal is strong. Speaking to the Investing News Network (INN), analysts shared their thoughts on the biggest nickel trends to watch for in 2024, and what they think will affect the market moving forward. They discussed factors such as oversupply, weaker-than-expected demand from China and doubts about the London Metal Exchange after it suspended trading last year.
Demand from the electric vehicle industry is one reason nickel's future looks bright further into the future.
“Global nickel consumption is expected to increase due to recovery of the stainless steel sector and increased usage of nickel in electric vehicle batteries. Batteries now account for almost 17 percent of total nickel demand, behind stainless steel," Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at financial services firm ING, told INN in the lead-up to 2024. “The metal’s appeal to investors as a key green metal will support higher prices in the longer term."
Below INN has listed the top nickel stocks on the TSXV by share price performance so far this year. TSX and CSE stocks were considered, but didn't make the cut. All year-to-date and share price data was obtained on April 3, 2024, using TradingView’s stock screener. The top nickel stocks listed had market caps above C$10 million at that time.
Year-to-date gain: 106.67 percent; market cap: C$38.84 million; current share price: C$0.62
EV Nickel’s primary project is the 30,000 hectare Shaw Dome asset in Ontario. It includes the high-grade W4 deposit, which has a resource of 2 million metric tons at 0.98 percent nickel for 43.3 million pounds of Class 1 nickel across the measured, indicated and inferred categories. Shaw Dome also holds the large-scale CarLang A zone, which has a resource of 1 billion metric tons at 0.24 percent nickel for 5.3 billion pounds of Class 1 nickel across the indicated and inferred categories.
EV Nickel is also working on integrating carbon capture and storage technology for large-scale clean nickel production, and has procured funding from the Canadian government and Ontario's provincial government. In late 2023, the company announced it was moving its carbon capture research and development to the pilot plant stage.
The company's only news so far in 2024 has been the announcement, upsizing and closure of a flow-through financing. Ultimately EV Nickel raised C$5.12 million to fund the development of its high-grade large-scale nickel resources.
The Canadian nickel exploration company's share price started off the year at C$0.30 before steadily climbing to reach a year-to-date high of C$0.73 on March 3.
Year-to-date gain: 15.2 percent; market cap: C$249.55 million; current share price: C$1.44
Canada Nickel Company has honed its efforts on its wholly owned flagship Crawford nickel sulfide project in Ontario’s productive Timmins Mining Camp. A bankable feasibility study for the asset demonstrates a large-scale nickel deposit with a mine life of 41 years, an after-tax net present value of US$2.5 billion and an internal rate of return of 17.1 percent. The company has said it is targeting both the electric vehicle and stainless steel markets.
A few big-name companies hold significant ownership positions in Canada Nickel, including Agnico Eagle Mines (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM), which holds an 11 percent stake, and Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF), which has a 7.6 percent stake. In February of this year, battery and electronic materials manufacturer Samsung SDI (KRX:006400) made an equity investment of US$18.5 million for an 8.7 percent ownership stake in the company.
Canada Nickel’s share price started 2024 at C$1.40 before jumping to a year-to-date high of C$2.24 on January 16.
In early February, the company shared that its wholly owned subsidiary, NetZero Metals, is planning to develop a nickel-processing facility and stainless steel and alloy production facility in the Timmins Nickel District. Canada Nickel’s share price had slid to C$1.35 on February 5 before rising up to C$1.46 on February 9 following the news.
Later in the month, Canada Nickel shared successful results from initial infill drilling at its 100 percent owned Bannockburn property, and announced a new discovery at the Mann property. Mann is a joint venture with Noble Mineral Exploration (TSXV:NOB,OTCQB:NLPXF) in which Canada Nickel can earn an 80 percent interest.
Year-to-date gain: 10 percent; market cap: C$26.41 million; current share price: C$0.11
Sama Resources’ focus is the Samapleu nickel, copper and platinum-group metals (PGMs) project in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, which includes the Samapleu and Grata deposits. Samapleu is a joint venture between Sama (70 percent) and Ivanhoe Electric (30 percent); Ivanhoe Electric, which is backed by Robert Friedland, recently earned the option to acquire a 60 percent interest in the project with the completion of a new preliminary economic assessment.
In the first few weeks of the year, Sama has already dropped a few press releases. The company shared highlights from its ongoing 3,800 meter winter drilling program at the Yepleu prospect. Importantly, the work has confirmed that newly discovered nickel-copper-PGMs mineralization measures 500 by 400 meters, is near surface and open in all directions. Drill results from the program so far include hole S-349, which intersected 53 meters of combined mineralization layers grading 0.29 percent nickel, including 2.6 meters at 1.31 percent nickel and 0.95 percent copper.
Sama’s share price started off the year at C$0.11 before jumping to a year-to-date high of C$0.14 on February 12.
There are a variety of ways to invest in nickel, but stocks and exchange-traded products are the most common. Nickel-focused companies can be found globally on various exchanges, and through the use of a broker or a service such as an app, investors can purchase companies and products that match their investing outlook.
Before buying a nickel stock, potential investors should take time to research the companies they’re considering; they should also decide how many shares will be purchased, and what price they are willing to pay. With many options on the market, it's critical to complete due diligence before making any investment decisions.
Nickel stocks like those mentioned above could be a good option for investors interested in the space. Experienced investors can also look at nickel futures.
Nickel has a variety of applications. Its main use is an alloy material for products such as stainless steel, and it is also used for plating metals to reduce corrosion. It is used in coins as well, such as the 5 cent nickel in the US and Canada; the US nickel is made up of 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper, while Canada's nickel has nickel plating that makes up 2 percent of its composition.
Nickel's up-and-coming use is in electric vehicles as a component of certain lithium-ion battery compositions, and it has gotten extra attention because of that purpose.
The world's top nickel-producing countries are primarily in Asia: Indonesia, the Philippines and New Caledonia make up the top three. Rounding out the top five are Russia and Canada. Indonesia's production stands far ahead of the rest of the pack, with 2023 output of 1.8 million MT compared to the Philippines' 400,000 MT and New Caledonia's 230,000 MT.
Significant nickel miners include Norilsk Nickel (OTC Pink:NILSY,MCX:GMKN), Nickel Asia, BHP Group (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) and Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF).
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: Canada Nickel and Noble Mineral Exploration are clients of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
FPX Nickel (TSXV:FPX,OTXQB:FPOCF) is an exploration and development company focused on its advanced-development-stage Tier 1 Baptiste project in the Decar Nickel District in central British Columbia. The project has the potential to supply high-concentration nickel and cobalt sulfates suitable for the growing electric vehicle battery industry, as well as more traditional markets for nickel, such as stainless steel.
Nickel plays a vital role in electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing, a sector that sees rapid expansion year after year. Market research projects a growing nickel demand for EVs to reach 1.3 million metric tonnes per annum by 2030, as nickel content in electric vehicles increases to over 40 kilograms per car battery.
Despite its significant role in powering a global shift to greener energies, analysts also project an undersupply of nickel for the next several years due to decreasing production and a lack of new active mines. Mining companies advancing high-margin nickel projects offer investors exposure to a market with great economic growth and success potential.
FPX Nickel’s Baptiste project leverages a 2023 preliminary feasibility study( PFS) and an updated mineral resource estimate that includes total nickel and potential by-product elements, cobalt and iron.
The PFS for Baptiste indicated an after-tax NPV of $2.01 billion and an IRR of 18.6 percent at $8.75-pound nickel for a 29-year mine life producing an average of 59,100 tons per year.
The positive geological interpretation of the Van target at the Decar Nickel District offers further blue-sky potential for the Baptiste project, potentially mimicking the successes of its geographic neighbors, such as New Gold’s (TSX:NGD,NYSEMKT:NGD) C$1.8 billion Blackwater Gold open-pit project.
The Baptiste project presents FPX Nickel with the potential to produce refined nickel at a significantly lower carbon footprint than other sources of production in the global nickel industry. Recent leach testing of awaruite nickel concentrates produced from Baptiste achieved nickel recoveries of 98.8 percent to 99.5 percent in producing a high-purity chemical solution containing 69.4 to 70.1 g/L nickel.
In keeping with FPX Nickel’s aim to build a carbon-neutral mining operation at the Baptiste project, the company co-founded a multi-university research program to study carbon capture and storage at mining sites. The program is in collaboration with Anglo-American majority-owned (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF) DeBeers, and the Government of Canada.
Hydrometallurgical testing conducted by FPX Nickel for the production of battery-grade nickel sulphate has produced sufficient high-grade (> 65 percent nickel) awaruite concentrate. This large-scale pilot test work validates the processing strategy for Baptiste, leveraging awaruite's ferromagnetism, high density, active surface properties, and very high nickel content.
Baptiste’s awaruite mineralization promotes a simple three-stage process. It has the potential to be more efficient than the typical five-stage process required to convert sulphide and laterite ores into nickel sulphate. Rapid nickel extraction of more than 98 percent in 60 minutes is achieved under mild pressure leaching conditions with significantly lower equipment size/risk, power consumption, pressure and temperature requirements than typical high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) operations.
In January 2024, FPX Nickel closed a C$14.4 million strategic equity investment from Sumitomo Metal Mining. Net proceeds of the private placement will be used to fund exploration and development activities at its Baptiste nickel project, and continue ongoing environmental baseline activities, feasibility study readiness activities, and general corporate and administrative purposes.
FPX Nickel’s wholly owned subsidiary CO2 Lock, specializing in carbon capture and storage (CCS) via permanent mineralization, has completed a comprehensive field program at its SAM site in central British Columbia including the first-ever successful injection of CO2 into a brucite-rich ultramafic mineral project. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the development of CO2 Lock's innovative in-situ CO2 mineralization technology.
FPX Nickel’s management team consists of highly experienced capital markets and mining professionals, including Canadian Mining Hall of Fame member Dr. Peter Bradshaw, and veteran geologist Rob Pease.
The Decar Nickel District covers 245 square kilometers and is 80 kilometers west of the Mt. Milligan mine, central British Columbia. The property hosts the highly prospective Baptiste nickel project, which has the potential to become the world’s best development-stage nickel project. The asset is accessible via logging and paved road, with railway and hydropower nearby.
Baptiste hosts nickel-iron alloy mineralization, bulk-tonnage potential and open-pit nickel mining possibilities across its four primary targets. Exploration has also indicated resources at an average grade of 0.123 percent DTR nickel for 2.3 million tons and 391 million tonnes of inferred resources with an average grade of 0.115 percent DTR nickel.
In September 2022, the company completed a 2,504-meter step-out drilling program at its Van target in the Decar Nickel District. The completed holes stepped out aggressively from the initial discovery area, testing the potential for nickel mineralization up to 1 kilometer west of the holes drilled in 2021.Baptiste Project 2023 PFS
In 2023, the company released the preliminary feasibility study results for the Baptiste nickel project indicating an average production of 59,100 tons of nickel per year in concentrate over a 29-year mine life. The project will be developed in a phased approach, with an initial mill throughput rate of 108,000 tons per day (Phase 1), followed by an expansion to 162,000 tons per day (Phase 2).
FPX Nickel signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and the Prime Planet Energy & Solutions (PPES) joint venture between Toyota Motor Company and Panasonic, setting out a framework for FPX and PPES to explore collaborative opportunities for the vertical integration of nickel production at the Baptiste project and the production of nickel sulphate and cathode active materials for the PPES supply chain.Martin Turenne is a senior executive with over 15 years of experience in the commodities industry, including over five years in the mining industry. He has extensive leadership experience in strategic management, fundraising, economic analysis, financial reporting, regulatory compliance and corporate tax. Turenne formerly served as CFO of First Point Minerals Corp. from 2012 to 2015 and in positions at KPMG LLP and Methanex Corporation. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
With more than 20 years in the industry, Andrew Osterloh is experienced in process engineering, plant metallurgy and project management. He was formerly the project director and head of studies for Fluor Canada, leading feasibility study work for large base metal assets. He was formerly project director and manager of studies for Fluor Canada, where he led feasibility studies for several large base metal assets in the Americas for Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, Teck and Newmont. Osterloh is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in mineral process engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Felicia de la started her professional career with KPMG LLP's audit practice in Vancouver, culminating with her role as a senior manager leading large teams in the execution of audit engagements for a variety of large and complex organizations across multiple industries. After joining Equinox Gold as the corporate controller in 2017, she was part of a core financial leadership team overseeing corporate accounting, financial reporting and system development, managing the successful integration of several new acquisitions across multiple jurisdictions, including both operating mines and large-scale development projects. She acted as the vice-president of finance for Vida Carbon, a carbon royalty and streaming company, and has more recently been providing financial and systems advisory services to public companies in the mining sector. She is a chartered professional accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Peter Bradshaw is a geologist with more than 45 years of international mineral exploration experience in over 30 countries with Barringer Research, Placer Dome, and Orvana Minerals. He is a member of the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame. Bradshaw’s key discoveries and project involvement include Porgera Gold Mine, Papua New Guinea; Kidston Gold Mine, Queensland, Australia; Misima Gold Mine, Papua New Guinea; Big Bell Gold Mine, Western Australia; Omai Gold Mine, Guyana; Decar Nickel Project, British Columbia, Canada; director of Aquila Resources; co-founder and first chairman of the Mineral Deposit Research Unit, University of British Columbia.
Rob Pease is a geologist with more than 30 years of experience in exploration, mine development and construction. He is the former CEO of Terrane Metals, acquired by Thompson Creek for C$650 million. Pease was also the former director of Richfield Ventures, acquired by New Gold for C$500 million. He is a director of Pure Gold Mining Inc. and Liberty Gold.
William Myckatyn is a mining engineer with more than 34 years of experience in the mining industry. Myckatyn is the founder and CEO of Quadra Mining Ltd. He served as chairman and subsequently co-chairman of Quadra FNX Mining until its takeover in 2012. Prior to this, Myckatyn was chairman, president and CEO of Dayton Mining Corp., where he led the restructuring and merger with Pacific Rim Mining Corp. He was the former president and CEO of Princeton Mining and Gibraltar Mines Ltd. For over 17 years, he worked for various operations controlled by Placer Dome Inc. and its associated predecessor companies, including four separate mines in Australia and the Philippines. He is a director of San Marco Resources and OceanaGold.
Peter Marshall is a mining engineer with 30 years of experience in mine development and construction. Marshall was formerly VP of project development at New Gold and SVP project development at Terrane Metals. He has extensive mine development experience in central British Columbia, including completing the Blackwater gold project feasibility study and development, and early construction of Mt. Milligan copper-gold mine, acquired by Thompson Creek for C$650 million in 2010.
James Gilbert has more than 30 years of investment and transaction execution experience, with more than 20 years focused on the international mining and metals industry. Gilbert held senior management positions with Rothschild, Gerald Metals Inc. and Minera S.A., a private mining investment company. His experience covers mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, off-take and specialty refining agreements, joint venture negotiations and strategic marketing. He was formerly director of AQM Copper Inc., acquired by Teck Resources in 2016.
Anne Currie is a recognized leader in the permitting of major Canadian mining projects, with over 30 years of experience in the private and public sector, including as a former senior partner with leading global consultancy Environmental Resources Management. She was British Columbia's chief gold commissioner, the chief regulatory authority for the Mineral Tenure Act., and has an exceptional track record in steering the environmental assessment and permitting processes for major mining projects in British Columbia, including for the KSM, Brucejack, Kemess Underground and Blackwater projects.
Kim Baird is an accomplished leader and strategic advisor working with indigenous communities, governments, businesses and other organizations. In her prior role as the elected chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation, she negotiated and implemented British Columbia's first modern urban treaty, establishing for the Tsawwassen People ownership and governance over their land and resources.
Dan Apai has over twenty years of mining industry experience in civil engineering and engineering management over a diverse range of projects. In his previous role as a principal civil engineer for Fluor Canada, he led the study and detailed engineering works for numerous large-scale mining projects for clients including Teck, Newmont, BHP, First Quantum, Glencore, Josemaria Resources and Newcrest. Apai's technical expertise includes site layout, earthworks, water management, linear facilities (i.e., roads, powerlines, pipelines), and water supply systems – all elements that strongly influence the capital intensity, permitability, and operability of mining projects. Apai is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia.
Tim Bekhuys is a senior mining executive with over 40 years’ experience in community engagement, environmental assessment and permitting. He was formerly VP environment, health, safety and sustainability for SSR Mining, where he led all aspects of sustainability reporting, environmental assessment and permitting activities. He also previously acted as director of environment and sustainability for New Gold, where he successfully led the government, permitting, Indigenous and community relations programs for the Blackwater project in central B.C. Bekhuys was a former member of the boards of directors of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia, the Mining Association of British Columbia, and the Mining Association of Canada.
Keith Patterson is a senior geologist with over 25 years’ experience in greenfield exploration throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. He was formerly director of project generation and greenfield strategy with Eldorado Gold where he managed global exploration and project generation. Patterson acted as vice-president of exploration for Jinshan Gold Mines where he was responsible for the execution of exploration programs and project evaluations in China. He is a registered professional geoscientist with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia and holds a Master of Geological Sciences and a Bachelor of Geological Engineering, both from the University of British Columbia.
Pivotal Metals Limited (ASX:PVT) (‘Pivotal’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to provide its Appendix 5B cash flow statement for the quarter ended 31 March 2024, along with the following operational summary.
Quarter Highlights
Managing Director Ivan Fairhall said: “Having joined Pivotal Metals in September, I’m very pleased to present my first full Quarterly Report which outlines significant progress on all aspects of our exploration endeavours.
The importance of drilling at Horden Lake cannot be understated. We have a clear strategy to add value to the asset de-risk and show the growth potential of this already significant 412kt CuEq indicated and inferred Cu-Ni-PGM resource. Investors will now benefit from considerable newsflow off the back of work completed to date. We are also highly enthused by the BAGB results which fully support our geological model and provide exciting targets of scale for future drilling.
With a cash boost late last year, clean balance sheet, and two very exciting exploration and development projects, the Board and I are looking forward to delivering a full operational and news schedule to all shareholders over the coming months.”
OPERATIONAL UPDATE
HORDEN LAKE PROJECT
In March 20241, Pivotal Metals announced the completion of the drilling program at Horden Lake in Quebec, the first drilling by Pivotal at Horden Lake since its acquisition. The completed program includes 33 holes for a total of 7,014 meters of diamond drilling. This effort targeted both grade and tonnage opportunities within the existing 412 kt CuEq (27.8mt at 1.5% CuEq) Indicated and Inferred Resource, aiming to further delineate and expand the mineral resource base.
The program was designed to target improvements to both the quality and scale of the Horden Lake project and provide the foundation for advancing the asset from both a geological and an engineering perspective.
Drill core is being progressively logged by the geological team in Val d’Or and sent for multielement assay with ALS Global. Results are expected during the 2nd quarter.
It is noted the winter program included establishment of a new seasonal access road linking directly to Billy Diamond national highway, 10km to the east of the project. This road is now in place for future programs, and importantly greatly lengthens the winter drilling window by enabling property access from early December, vs late January achieved this year.
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This article includes content from Pivotal Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
With its diverse applications in both technology and industry, nickel is a metal that will never go out of style.
Nickel is commonly used in alloys to create stainless steel, but more recently has found a modern use: batteries. As the electric vehicle trend gains steam, the base metal is in high demand for its role in lithium-ion batteries.
Nickel has encountered much volatility in the past few years. Prices spiked abruptly to a record US$100,000 per tonne in March 2022, prompting the suspension of trading on the London Metal Exchange.
The metal sank much lower in 2023, ending the year at around US$16,300 on the back of global economic uncertainties and a ramp up in production in top nickel producer Indonesia. However, improving global manufacturing data and supply concerns out of the Philippines sent prices for the metal up over the US$17,500 mark as of mid-April.
Against that backdrop, some ASX nickel companies are making moves. Here the Investing News Network has listed the top nickel stocks on the ASX by year-to-date gains. Data was gathered using TradingView's stock screener on April 11, 2024, and all companies had market caps above AU$10 million at that time. Read on to learn more about them.
Year-to-date gain: 45.83 percent; market cap: AU$139.88 million; current share price: AU$0.70
Ardea Resources is developing its wholly owned Kalgoorlie nickel project in Western Australia, which includes the Goongarrie Hub deposit. The company has said the project “hosts the largest nickel-cobalt resource in the developed world.” It is currently working towards a planned definitive feasibility study (DFS).
A 2023 prefeasibility study for Goongarrie Hub shows an ore reserve of 194.1 million tonnes at 0.7 percent nickel and 0.05 percent cobalt, resulting in 1.36 million tonnes of contained nickel and 99,000 tonnes of contained cobalt. The study indicates an open-pit operation with a 40 year life and annual output of 30,000 tonnes of nickel and 2,000 tonnes of cobalt.
Last July, the company signed a memorandum of understanding to develop Goongarrie Hub with a Japanese consortium consisting of Sumitomo Metal Mining (TSE:5713), Mitsubishi (TSE:8058) and Mitsui (TSE:8031). On February 29, Ardea shared that it has agreed with the consortium on a DFS budget and the scopes of work for the study. Following the release, the company's share price climbed through March to hit a peak of AU$0.74 on March 18, and has remained elevated.
As of March 27, Ardea and the consortium were in the final stages of hashing out a final cooperative agreement .
Year-to-date gain: 27.34 percent; market cap: AU$3.75 billion; current share price: AU$0.885
Nickel Industries has built a large portfolio of nickel-mining and downstream processing assets in Indonesia.
A major producer of nickel pig iron for the stainless steel sector, the company began its transition to a battery-grade nickel producer for the electric vehicle battery market in 2022. Nickel Industries holds 80 percent interests in four nickel rotary kiln electric furnace operations, as well as the Hengjaya nickel mine in Indonesia.
In October 2023, Nickel Industries reached a positive final investment decision to participate in the Excelsior nickel-cobalt high-pressure acid leach project in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. The operation is expected to produce a total of 72,000 tonnes per year of contained nickel equivalent across three products: mixed hydroxide precipitate, nickel sulphate and nickel cathode. First production is slated to commence in 2025's fourth quarter.
In its 2023 annual report, released in late February, Nickel Industries shared record annual production of 131,126 tonnes of nickel metal, for a record group EBITDA of US$403.3 million. Shares of the company traded at AU$0.885 on April 11, the highest year-to-date price for the stock.
Year-to-date gain: 7.14 percent; market cap: AU$37.76 million; current share price: AU$0.015
Exploration-stage Legend Mining’s main focus is the Rockford nickel-copper project in Western Australia, a joint venture with prospector Mark Creasy's Creasy Group and IGO (ASX:IGO,OTC Pink:IPGDF).
Creasy Group and IGO are also the two largest shareholders in the company.
As the second quarter of 2024 begins, Legend Mining shares are up slightly from the start of the year. They saw a year-to-date high of AU$0.02 on February 12. According to the company's quarterly report, released on April 11, Legend’s 2024 field program for Rockford will include an extension of a high-power, fixed-loop electromagnetics survey at the Octagonal prospect. That should begin in May, and will be followed by seismic reprocessing for Octagonal, which is expected to be completed in June. Both will help to inform the selection of future drill targets on the property.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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