The Conversation (0)
Golden Mile Resources Limited (“Golden Mile”; “the Company”; ASX: “G88”) is pleased to announce that PQ diamond drilling for Stage 3 Metallurgical testwork on the 100% owned Quicksilver Nickel- Cobalt deposit “Quicksilver” has intersected very wide zones of high-grade nickel mineralisation within the existing Resource.
Highlights
- 23QDD008: 49m at 1.74% nickel (Ni), 0.071% cobalt (Co) from 30m
- Including 28m at 2.34% Ni & 0.109% Co from 32m depth, with intercepts up to 4.14% Ni and 0.421% Co; and
- 5m @ 1.6% Ni & 0.026% Co from 73m depth
Other significant intersections include:
- 23QDD006: 61m @ 0.61% Ni from 20m depth, including 1m @ 1.22% Ni from 77m depth
- 23QDD002: 47m @ 0.74% Ni from 18m depth, including 3m @ 1.15% Ni from 54m depth
- 23QDD007: 29m @ 0.65% Ni from 20m depth, including 1m @ 1.25% Ni from 36m depth
- 23QDD003: 13m @ 0.76% Ni from 21m depth, including 1m @ 1.53% Ni from 23m depth
- 23QDD001: 4m @ 1.5% Ni from 29m depth
- Potential for direct transportation and shipping of high-grade zones of the orebody without beneficiation
- High-grade cobalt in 23QDD008 exhibits good nickel-cobalt ratios (~10:1)
- High-grade nickel and cobalt in the oxide zone might be an indication of potential disseminated nickel mineralisation within the untested primary zone
- Hole 23QDD008 encountered the highest grade nickel and cobalt so far at Quicksilver
Golden Mile’s Managing Director Damon Dormer said “These are spectacular intersections and the highest nickel grade we have ever encountered at Quicksilver. The results indicate that we have a significantly higher-grade zone within the overall Resource with the potential of disseminated nickel mineralisation within the untested primary zone. This may provide an opportunity for direct transportation and shipping of high-grade zones of the orebody to provide early cash flow while constructing the beneficiation plant and accelerating project timelines.”
Quicksilver Nickel-Cobalt Project
The Quicksilver Nickel-Cobalt Project (“the project”; “Quicksilver”) is located near the town of Lake Grace (approximately 300km SE of Perth) on privately owned farmland in an area with excellent local infrastructure. The project is an oxide clay hosted Nickel-Cobalt deposit with an Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1:
cut-off grade >0.5% Ni or >0.05% Co
Further to the defined Resource, Quicksilver has confirmed mineralisation of Rare Earth Elements2 (REE’s) and significant high-grade Scandium3 (Sc) within the Resource envelope.
Metallurgical Diamond Drill Programme
The metallurgical diamond drilling programme4 was conducted to deliver a bulk sample for the Stage 3 metallurgical testwork programme. The drilling programme resulted in a total of 8 holes for 548.9m of PQ size diamond core. The PQ size was selected to deliver the highest quality and most representative sample of the orebody as well as maximise the mass for the Stage 3 metallurgical testwork programme.
Assay Results
The priority 1 assays from the diamond drill programme have returned wide zones of nickel mineralisation, including high-grade nickel and cobalt, hosted within the upper and lower saprolite oxide zones. The best nickel results from the Metallurgical PQ Diamond Drilling are shown in Table 1 with the positioning of the holes relative to the resource outline in Figure 1.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Golden Mile Resources, 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.
Golden Mile Resources Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects
GET YOUR FREE INVESTOR KIT
Golden Mile Resources
Investor Insight
Golden Mile Resources is a project development and mineral exploration company, with a focus on growing the company with a multi asset and multi commodity strategy through advancing core projects, acquisition of high-quality assets, and tactical alliances with joint venture partners. Golden Mile’s value proposition is driven by a highly experienced leadership team with proven expertise across the resources sector from exploration to development and production.
Overview
Golden Mile Resources (ASX:G88) is a Western Australia-based resource company with critical metals exploration projects in Western Australia and Arizona, USA. The company’s near-term focus is on advancing its newly acquired Pearl copper project in Arizona, located in the world-class Laramide Porphyry Belt. The company’s longer term focus includes the advancement of the Quicksilver nickel-cobalt project, located in Western Australia, which has an indicated and inferred resource of 26.3 Mt @ 0.64 percent nickel and 0.04 percent cobalt.
Golden Mile is also focused on strategic alliances with joint venture partners to maintain exposure without expense on its other assets, such as its Leonora JV (Patronus Resources earning up to 80 percent) project and Gidgee JV (Gateway earning up to 80 percent). Concurrently, the company’s leadership team will consider potential divestment or JVs of its non-core assets, and also aims to build up a new portfolio of high-quality multi-element assets, from discovery to development.
Overall, the company is focused on creating shareholder value, supported by a management team and board with a proven track record of exploration, development and production success. Led by managing director Damon Dormer, a mining engineer with over 26 years of experience, Golden Mile is well positioned to execute its strategy moving forward.
Company Highlights
- Golden Mile Resources has a diversified portfolio of both advanced projects and exploration assets in tier 1 jurisdictions of Australia and the US.
- The recently acquired Pearl copper project in Arizona is located in the renowned Laramide Porphyry Belt.
- The Quicksilver nickel-cobalt project near Perth has an indicated and inferred mineral resource of 26.3 Mt @ 0.64 percent nickel and 0.04 percent cobalt.
- Golden Mile is backed by a highly experienced management team with proven success in project engineering and development from exploration to production across multiple continents.
Key Projects
Pearl Copper Project
Golden Mile secured the Pearl copper project in August 2024. Located in Arizona, the asset hosts more than 50 artisanal copper workings and shares similar geological characteristics to the San Manuel-Kalamazoo and Pinto Valley porphyry copper mines. The project exhibits widespread surface alteration highlighted by rock chip samples of 7.3 percent copper, 0.43 percent molybdenum, 19.9 percent lead, 4.9 percent zinc and 360 g/t silver.
The most significant working within the project area are the Pearl and Ford mines. The Pearl mine is located on the north-western portion of the Pearl project within the Odyssey prospect. It produced up to 60,000 tons of ore containing copper oxide and sulphide, lead, silver and gold from largely artisanal workings from 1915 to 1941 (Force, 1997).
Historical records from the Ford mine, located within the Pearl copper project mine claims, have reported lead assays from 5.7 percent to 31.3 percent, copper assays from 5.8 percent to 10.6 percent and that gold increases in the deeper levels from 0.01 oz to 0.54 oz (16.7g/t) (Baird, 1942).
Significant upside from organic exploration exists given Pearl’s geographic location, situated in the heart of the world-class Laramide Porphyry Copper Belt and 1 km of the San Manuel mine (historic production of 4.7 Mt) that has been operating for 44 years.
A tier 1 mining jurisdiction, Arizona represents approximately 70 percent of domestic US copper production. The Pearl project was historically mined from 1915 to 1941.
Quicksilver Nickel-Cobalt Project
The Quicksilver nickel-cobalt project is located approximately 280 km southeast of Perth in Western Australia. The project comprises an area of about 50 sq km that boasts excellent local infrastructure, including easy access to a grid power, sealed roads and a railway line to key ports.
In 2018, Golden Mile announced an indicated and inferred maiden resource estimate of 26.3 Mt @ 0.64 percent nickel and 0.04 percent cobalt. Metallurgical testwork completed in 2023 significantly improved understanding of the unique saprolitic mineralisation at the project and a potential pathway to production.
The company has also identified a customized multi-products flowsheet to produce nickel-cobalt and iron-nickel-cobalt-chromium concentrates, as well as industrial products. The process would require low energy using the physical attributes of the free digging ore.
Board and Management Team
Damon Dormer – Managing Director
A mining engineer with over 26 years of experience, including 15 years in mine management and executive roles, Dormer has worked in studies, projects, operations and innovation across Australia, USA, Papua New Guinea and Africa. Dormer has had considerable success turning around mining projects and studies resulting in the construction of multiple mines in Africa, as well as significant operational success in Australia. He has also been heavily involved in mining innovation and has personally developed techniques and strategies for the mining industry. Dormer holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mining from the Western Australian School of Mines and has held numerous statutory appointments across the African and Australasian regions.
Francesco Cannavo – Non-executive Director
Francesco Cannavo is an experienced public company director with significant business and investment experience working with companies operating across various industries, including in particular mining exploration companies. Cannavo has been instrumental in assisting several listed and unlisted companies achieve their growth strategies through the raising of investment capital and the acquisition of assets. He is currently a non-executive director of Western Mines Group (ASX:WMG) and Stemcell United (ASX:SCU).
Grant Button – Non-executive Chairman
Grant Button is a qualified accountant and has significant commercial management and transactional experience. He has over 30 years of experience at a senior management level in the resource industry. He has acted as a managing director, executive director, finance director, CFO and company secretary for a range of publicly listed companies. Most recently, Button has been managing director of Magnum Mining & Exploration (ASX:MGU), and was previously the position executive director of Sylvania Platinum.
Michele Alessandro Bina – Non-executive Director
Michele Alessandro Bina is a former investment banker based in Hong Kong and is an adviser to Beijing Gage, the parent company of Gage Resource Development (Gage). Bina joins the existing board of Alice Queen as a non-executive director as the nominee of Beijing Gage Capital Management (Beijing Gage).
Justyn Stedwell - Company Secretary
Justyn Stedwell has over 17 years of experience as a company secretary of ASX listed companies and has also served as a non-executive director on several ASX listed company Boards. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Monash University, a graduate diploma in accounting from Deakin University and a graduate diploma in applied corporate governance from the Governance Institute of Australia.
Martin Dormer – Exploration Manager
Martin Dormer is an exploration geologist with over 27 years’ experience in mineral exploration and resource development, from greenfields through to feasibility. His experience spans multiple commodities including precious, base metal, and industrial metals across a wide range of geological settings and jurisdictions. Dormer has worked in multiple locations around the globe, including Australia, Asia, and Africa in senior management positions in the private and public sectors. He has also operated a private geological consultancy, Unearthed Elements, for the past 14 years. Dormer is a graduate of the WA School of Mines in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology and is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Nickel Investor Report
Who We Are
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 and the Battery Boom in 2025
Nickel Price 2024 Year-End Review
Nickel market activity has been underwhelming for the past couple of years as supply exceeds demand.
This trend continued in 2024's final quarter, with Indonesian supply being the primary force weighing on prices. Indonesia is the largest source of nickel globally, with much output destined for Chinese-owned refineries in the country.
Meanwhile, demand stayed weak as China’s economy continued to sputter. The Asian nation's housing and manufacturing markets are important demand drivers for nickel, which is used in stainless steel products.
Read on to learn what other key factors moved the nickel sector in 2024.
Nickel price in Q4
Nickel reached its 2024 peak of US$21,615 per metric ton on May 20, but was back below the US$16,000 mark by the end of July. Following some volatility in August and September, it reached US$18,221 on October 2.
However, higher prices were not to last, and nickel spent much of Q4 in a downward trend.
By the end of October, nickel had fallen to US$15,732 before climbing back to US$16,607 on November 7.
Since then, the nickel market's downtrend has largely continued. On December 19, the metal slumped to its 2024 low of US$15,090, ultimately ending the year at US$15,300 on December 31.
Nickel price, Q4 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
As mentioned, nickel’s weak price performance is largely due to high output from Indonesia and low demand, particularly from Asian markets, as China’s recovery has failed to gain traction.
Against that backdrop, Indonesia said on December 19 that it was considering cutting mining quotas to boost prices. The move would reduce the amount of nickel ore allowed to be mined almost in half, to 150 million metric tons in 2025.
Additionally, Indonesia is looking to tighten environmental regulation compliance for miners in the new year, which could increase volatility for metals including nickel. The move comes not long after the country signed several new agreements in November with Chinese companies that would see billions invested in Indonesian nickel operations.
Indonesia had previously worked to distance itself from partnerships with China as it sought to improve relations with the US and be included under the country's US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The new agreements emerged shortly after Donald Trump won the US presidential election on November 7. Trump’s return to the Oval Office is unlikely to bode well for Indonesian officials seeking to secure a trade deal with the US. However, a loosening of rules in the IRA might create new inroads for Indonesian nickel producers.
How did nickel perform for the rest of the year?
Nickel price in Q1
The story since the start of the year has been high output from Indonesian operations.
Low prices saw some nickel producers, including major miner First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) and Australia’s Wyloo Metals, cut production. However, New Caledonia was most affected. The country is highly dependent on its nickel sector, with industry giants like Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF), Eramet (EPA:ERA) and raw materials trader Trafigura owning significant stakes in nickel producers in the country.
Ultimately, cuts there led to a 200 million euro bailout package from the French government, which exacerbated tensions over New Caledonia's independence from France. Opponents of the agreement argued that it risks the territory's sovereignty, and that mining companies aren’t contributing enough to bail out the mines, which employ thousands.
Nickel price in Q2
The second quarter was defined by a surge in nickel prices.
Positive momentum began to work its way into the market at the end of Q1, as Indonesia experienced delays in approving mining output quotas and speculation grew that Russian nickel could be sanctioned by the US and UK.
On April 12, news broke that Washington and London had banned US and UK metal exchanges from admitting new aluminum, copper and nickel from Russia. Taking immediate effect, the prohibitions also halted the import of those metals, causing prices to soar to a year-to-date high of US$21,615 on May 20.
At the time, Joe Mazumdar, editor of Exploration Insights, suggested this move would have little impact on the sector.
“That nickel is still going to make it into the market, it’s just going to go to a different exchange, probably Shanghai … So I could still see that nickel moving and getting consumed in the global market — it’s just not coming to the west,” he explained to the Investing News Network in an interview.
Ultimately, by the end of the quarter, the price was trending toward US$17,000.
Nickel price in Q3
Nickel saw a strong end to the third quarter, with prices rising above the US$18,000 mark.
Nickel found support in September as the Chinese government introduced a raft of stimulus measures intended to boost economic growth in the country. Among the measures were a 0.5 percent interest rate cut on existing mortgages, and a reduction in the downpayment required to purchase a home to 15 percent from 25 percent.
The announcement came alongside cuts at Chinese smelters as they were forced to deal with a shortage in feeder supply due to more delays to Indonesia’s permitting and quota system.
Investor takeaway
The nickel market is expected to remain oversupplied for some time.
With China’s economy on a slow path to recovery, demand is projected to remain weak. Meanwhile, supply will likely hinge on whether Indonesia chooses to make significant cuts to its output.
While demand for nickel in electric vehicle batteries is expected to be up 27 percent year-on-year in 2024, producers have also been pursuing alternatives that don’t require as much nickel. Additionally, more consumers are looking to plug-in hybrid vehicles with smaller batteries that require less nickel.
Even with the increased demand from the battery sector, nickel is primarily used in stainless steel products, which are still dominated by the Chinese manufacturing and real estate sectors.
Perhaps the most significant factors to consider are political. A new administration in the US and a shift in its approach to sourcing critical metals like nickel could alter the landscape for nickel producers in 2025.
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.
Nickel Price Forecast: Top Trends for Nickel in 2025
The nickel market has faced challenges over the past few years due to a supply glut and weak demand.
Even though the price of nickel surged in the first quarter of 2024, higher prices didn’t last. By the end of the year, any gains the base metal had made were erased, and it entered 2025 in the US$15,000 to US$15,200 per metric ton range.
What's in store for the rest of the year, and what nickel trends should investors be watching?
Nickel market oversupply to continue in 2025
Indonesian supply is a key reason nickel prices are under pressure, as is a lack of demand growth.
In comments emailed to the Investing News Network (INN), Ewa Manthey, commodities strategist at ING, suggested that the situation isn’t likely to change for nickel in 2025.
“We believe nickel’s underperformance is likely to continue — at least in the near term — amid weakening demand and a sustained market surplus. A surge in output in Indonesia has dragged nickel lower over recent years, and demand from the stainless steel and electric vehicle (EV) battery sectors continues to disappoint,” she said.
Her statement follows recently introduced measures from China. Set to take effect in 2025, they involve injecting US$1.4 trillion over the next five years, and are meant to help the country’s ailing economy.
However, past measures introduced in 2024, particularly those in September, have yet to significantly affect the nation's housing and manufacturing sectors, which are net demand drivers for stainless steel.
Jason Sappor, senior analyst, metals and mining research, at S&P Global Commodity Insights, expressed similar sentiments about nickel's 2025 performance in comments to INN.
“We expect the market to remain oversupplied in 2025, as Indonesia and China’s primary nickel output expands further,” he said. Sappor added that subdued prices could lead to further output curtailments across the industry. This would be in addition to cuts already made at various operations around the world, particularly in Oceania.
The situation even has top producer Indonesia considering restricting output.
“The latest news reports that Indonesia’s government is considering making deep cuts to nickel-mining quotas to boost prices also highlight that the implementation of restrictions on the country’s nickel output should not be ignored as a risk to forecasts for the market to stay in surplus in 2025,” Sappor said.
For her part, Manthey suggested that cuts to nickel supply in 2024 did little to upset the market surplus — instead, they may have solidified Indonesia’s dominance over the industry.
“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.
Will Trump change the Inflation Reduction Act?
One of the biggest factors that could come into play in 2025 is Donald Trump's return to the White House.
During his campaign, Trump made several promises that could lead to a shift in the US’ environmental and energy transition policies. While nothing is set in stone just yet, the actions he takes could include reversing commitments made under the Paris Agreement and ending tax credits for EVs.
A significant unknown is how Trump will approach the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The program, which was established under the outgoing Biden administration, was designed to stimulate a move away from fossil fuels, while also supporting the procurement of friendly supply of low-carbon nickel.
One part of the IRA has made it challenging for Indonesia to export nickel to the US. As it stands, EVs must meet foreign entity of concern (FEOC) rules to qualify for the US$7,500 tax credit outlined under the IRA.
The US considers nations like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea to be areas of concern. Under rule 30D of the act, these nations cannot control more than 25 percent of the board seats, voting rights or equity interests of any company that supplies critical minerals for EV batteries destined for the US.
This has been a major obstacle for Indonesia as it has worked to build a trade partnership with the US.
Manthey outlined how Trump may seek to tighten rules, making a trade pact with Indonesia more difficult.
“Indonesia has been trying to reduce China-based ownership of new nickel projects to help its nickel sector qualify for the IRA tax credits. Tighter FEOC rules would create more issues for nickel supply chains, and would be an obstacle to Indonesia’s goal of expanding its export market to the US,” she said.
Manthey also said if the rules are tightened, primary and intermediate production will continue to be sent to China.
Investor takeaway
Barring any major shift in the supply and demand environment, nickel prices are unlikely to see significant gains over the next year. For investors, this is likely to make for a less supportive environment.
“The surplus in the Class 1 market is reflected in the rising exchange stocks," said Manthey.
"Further inflows of Chinese and Indonesian metal into the exchange’s sheds could put additional downward pressure on the London Metal Exchange’s nickel prices," she added in her comments to INN.
For Manthey, the potential upside would be stronger stainless steel output or restricted ore supply from Indonesia. However, slower EV market growth or the cancellation of some incentives in the US could offset this.
Overall, she isn’t expecting large price movements in the coming year.
“We forecast nickel prices to remain under pressure next year as the surplus in the global market continues. We see prices averaging US$15,700 in 2025,” Manthey said.
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: FPX Nickel is a client 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.
5 Best-performing Canadian Nickel Stocks of 2024
After trending down in 2023, nickel prices climbed to a 10 month high in late May of this year. However, they've since pulled back to four year lows. While this environment has been tough, some nickel stocks are still thriving.
Supply is expected to outflank demand over the short term, but the longer-term outlook for the metal is strong. Demand from the electric vehicle (EV) industry is one reason nickel's outlook looks bright further into the future.
Battery nickel demand is poised to triple by 2030, according to Benchmar Mineral Intelligence.
“Mid and high level performance EVs will be the primary driver of battery nickel demand growth in the coming years, particularly in Western markets,” said Jorge Uzcategui, senior nickel analyst at the firm.
“There will be growth in China, but it won’t be as pronounced as in ex-China markets.”
As for Canada, nickel is listed as a top priority in the government's Critical Minerals Strategy. The country is the world's fifth largest producer of nickel, with much of its production coming from mines in Ontario's Sudbury Basin, including Vale’s (NYSE:VALE) Sudbury operation and Glencore's (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations.
In February, Canada Nickel Company (TSXV:CNC,OTCQX:CNIKF) announced its subsidiary NetZero Metals is planning to develop a US$1 billion nickel-processing plant in Ontario that will become North America’s largest once complete.
How have Canadian nickel stocks performed in 2024? Below are the top nickel stocks in Canada on the TSXV and CSE by share price performance so far this year. TSX stocks were considered, but didn't make the cut.
All year-to-date and share price data was obtained on December 13, 2024, using TradingView’s stock screener. The top nickel stocks in Canada listed had market caps above C$10 million at that time.
1. Class 1 Nickel and Technologies (CSE:NICO)
Year-to-date gain: 533.33 percent
Market cap: C$35.9 million
Share price: C$0.19
Class 1 Nickel and Technologies' flagship property is its Alexo-Dundonald nickel project near Timmins, Ontario. The past-producing asset hosts four nickel sulfide deposits. The company’s pipeline also includes the past-producing Somanike nickel-copper project near Val-d’Or, Québec, and the River Valley platinum-group metals (PGMs) project near Sudbury, Ontario.
Class 1 Nickel released resource estimate updates for the Alexo South and Alexo North deposits in April and May of this year, respectively. The company said it expects to start work on a preliminary economic assessment for Alexo-Dundonald in the near term as part of its plan to bring the asset back into production.
On October 3, Class 1 Nickel put out an updated resource estimate for the Dundonald South nickel deposit. In the indicated category, the company reported a 781 percent increase in metric tons of ore and a 474 percent increase in pounds of nickel.
The Canadian nickel exploration company's share price started off the year at C$0.06, and began climbing in April to reach a year-to-date high of C$0.40 on November 18.
2. Power Nickel (TSXV:PNPN)
Year-to-date gain: 318.18 percent
Market cap: C$187.23 million
Share price: C$0.92
Power Nickel is developing its 80 percent owned Nisk polymetallic property in Québec, which hosts nickel, copper, platinum and palladium mineralization. According to the company, it plans to create Canada's first carbon-neutral nickel mine. The polymetallic nature of the project is a plus for the economic case for future nickel production in a low price environment.
This ongoing work has generated positive news flow for the company in 2024. After starting the year at C$0.24, Power Nickel began gaining in mid-April following two key announcements. First, the company released drill results from the newly discovered Lion zone 5 kilometers northeast of the main Nisk deposit. Shortly after, it announced the completion of its option to earn an 80 percent stake in Nisk from Critical Elements Lithium (TSXV:CRE,OTCQX:CRECF).
Power Nickel’s share price jumped more than 15 percent on May 10 to reach C$0.64 following news that drilling continued to expand the high-grade, near-surface Lion discovery, with notable assays including 14.42 meters at 0.59 grams per metric ton (g/t) gold, 69.14 g/t silver, 8.17 percent copper, 6.25 g/t palladium, 8.44 g/t platinum and 0.58 percent nickel.
In June, Power Nickel started an 8,000 meter drill program at Nisk, and closed a flow-through offering for gross proceeds of over C$20 million. Some of the biggest names in mining — Robert Friedland and Rob McEwen — participated.
The company's excellent news flow continued into the fourth quarter with a series of stellar drill results from its Nisk winter drill program, including significant intersections as shared in its October 3, October 28 and November 11 news releases. Additionally, on December 5, Power Nickel announced it was executing a spinout of its interest in the Golden Ivan property in Chile into a wholly owned subsidiary called Chilean Metals.
Power Nickel continued to climb before peaking at a year-to-date high of C$0.96 on December 12. On that same day, the company released another set of positive assay results from its work at Nisk.
3. Magna Mining (TSXV:NICU)
Year-to-date gain: 234.15 percent
Market cap: C$214.48 million
Share price: C$1.37
Magna Mining is a base metal exploration and development company based in Sudbury, Ontario.
The company’s flagship assets are the Shakespeare mine and the Crean Hill project. Shakespeare is a past-producing nickel-copper-PGMs mine with major permits in place. It hosts an indicated open-pit resource of 16.51 million metric tons at 0.56 percent nickel equivalent. Crean Hill is a past-producing nickel, copper and PGMs mine.
In March, Magna announced the signing of a definitive offtake agreement with Vale Base Metals' wholly owned subsidiary Vale Canada for the advanced exploration portion of Crean Hill. A few months later, in June, it inked a toll-milling agreement with Glencore Canada for the surface bulk sample of the 109 Footwall zone at Crean Hill.
The company entered into a definitive share purchase agreement with a subsidiary of KGHM Polska Miedz (FWB:KGHA) to acquire a portfolio of base metals assets located in the Sudbury Basin, including the producing McCreedy West copper-nickel mine. In November, Magna completed an updated preliminary economic assessment at Crean Hill.
Magna's share price started off the year at C$0.57, and gradually climbing to double its value by September 13. It reached a year-to-date high of C$1.67 on December 4.
4. Tartisan Nickel (CSE:TN)
Year-to-date gain: 108.7 percent
Market cap: C$27.19 million
Share price: C$0.24
Tartisan Nickel is a Canadian battery metals exploration and development company that's focused on developing the Kenbridge nickel-copper-cobalt project located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.
Tartisan acquired additional exploration claims for Kenbridge in mid-May. In November, the company closed a C$1.5 million flow-through financing with proceeds primarily going to fund the exploration and development of the project.
Shares of Tartisan Nickel fluctuated significantly in 2024. The company kicked off the year at C$0.19 before falling to a low of C$0.10 on March 12. However, its share price climbed rapidly in May to reach a year-to-date high of C$0.26 on May 16. Although shares fell as low as C$0.12 in late June, their value doubled back up to C$0.24 on December 13.
5. EV Nickel (TSXV:EVNI)
Year-to-date gain: 70.83 percent
Market cap: C$38.41 million
Share price: C$0.41
EV Nickel’s primary project is the 30,000 hectare Shaw Dome asset, which is situated near Timmins, Ontario. The property 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 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 news in 2024 includes the closure of a flow-through financing in March that ultimately saw EV Nickel raise C$5.12 million to fund the development of its high-grade, large-scale nickel resources.
In April, EV Nickel launched an exploration program that is aimed at advancing the CarLang trend and exploring other nickel targets. The most recent news out of the program came in early September with the announcement that diamond drilling at the Langmuir #2 high-priority nickel target had confirmed high-grade nickel, with intercepts such as 18.5 meters grading 1.07 percent nickel, 7.5 meters grading 1.67 percent nickel, 2 meters grading 3.27 percent nickel and 1 meter grading 5.11 percent nickel. EV Nickel described the results as "very encouraging."
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$0.79 on May 17.
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.
Nickel Price 2024 Year-End Review
Read on to learn what other key factors moved the nickel sector in 2024.
Nickel price in Q4
Nickel reached its 2024 peak of US$21,615 per metric ton on May 20, but was back below the US$16,000 mark by the end of July. Following some volatility in August and September, it reached US$18,221 on October 2.
However, higher prices were not to last, and nickel spent much of Q4 in a downward trend.
By the end of October, nickel had fallen to US$15,732 before climbing back to US$16,607 on November 7.
Since then, the nickel market's downtrend has largely continued. On December 19, the metal slumped to its 2024 low of US$15,090, ultimately ending the year at US$15,300 on December 31.
Nickel price, Q4 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
As mentioned, nickel’s weak price performance is largely due to high output from Indonesia and low demand, particularly from Asian markets, as China’s recovery has failed to gain traction.
Against that backdrop, Indonesia said on December 19 that it was considering cutting mining quotas to boost prices. The move would reduce the amount of nickel ore allowed to be mined almost in half, to 150 million metric tons in 2025.
Additionally, Indonesia is looking to tighten environmental regulation compliance for miners in the new year, which could increase volatility for metals including nickel. The move comes not long after the country signed several new agreements in November with Chinese companies that would see billions invested in Indonesian nickel operations.
Indonesia had previously worked to distance itself from partnerships with China as it sought to improve relations with the US and be included under the country's US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The new agreements emerged shortly after Donald Trump won the US presidential election on November 7. Trump’s return to the Oval Office is unlikely to bode well for Indonesian officials seeking to secure a trade deal with the US. However, a loosening of rules in the IRA might create new inroads for Indonesian nickel producers.
How did nickel perform for the rest of the year?
Nickel price in Q1
The story since the start of the year has been high output from Indonesian operations.
Low prices saw some nickel producers, including major miner First Quantum Minerals (TSX:FM,OTC Pink:FQVLF) and Australia’s Wyloo Metals, cut production. However, New Caledonia was most affected. The country is highly dependent on its nickel sector, with industry giants like Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF), Eramet (EPA:ERA) and raw materials trader Trafigura owning significant stakes in nickel producers in the country.
Ultimately, cuts there led to a 200 million euro bailout package from the French government, which exacerbated tensions over New Caledonia's independence from France. Opponents of the agreement argued that it risks the territory's sovereignty, and that mining companies aren’t contributing enough to bail out the mines, which employ thousands.
Nickel price in Q2
The second quarter was defined by a surge in nickel prices.
Positive momentum began to work its way into the market at the end of Q1, as Indonesia experienced delays in approving mining output quotas and speculation grew that Russian nickel could be sanctioned by the US and UK.
On April 12, news broke that Washington and London had banned US and UK metal exchanges from admitting new aluminum, copper and nickel from Russia. Taking immediate effect, the prohibitions also halted the import of those metals, causing prices to soar to a year-to-date high of US$21,615 on May 20.
At the time, Joe Mazumdar, editor of Exploration Insights, suggested this move would have little impact on the sector.
“That nickel is still going to make it into the market, it’s just going to go to a different exchange, probably Shanghai … So I could still see that nickel moving and getting consumed in the global market — it’s just not coming to the west,” he explained to the Investing News Network in an interview.
Ultimately, by the end of the quarter, the price was trending toward US$17,000.
Nickel price in Q3
Nickel saw a strong end to the third quarter, with prices rising above the US$18,000 mark.
Nickel found support in September as the Chinese government introduced a raft of stimulus measures intended to boost economic growth in the country. Among the measures were a 0.5 percent interest rate cut on existing mortgages, and a reduction in the downpayment required to purchase a home to 15 percent from 25 percent.
The announcement came alongside cuts at Chinese smelters as they were forced to deal with a shortage in feeder supply due to more delays to Indonesia’s permitting and quota system.
Investor takeaway
The nickel market is expected to remain oversupplied for some time.
With China’s economy on a slow path to recovery, demand is projected to remain weak. Meanwhile, supply will likely hinge on whether Indonesia chooses to make significant cuts to its output.
While demand for nickel in electric vehicle batteries is expected to be up 27 percent year-on-year in 2024, producers have also been pursuing alternatives that don’t require as much nickel. Additionally, more consumers are looking to plug-in hybrid vehicles with smaller batteries that require less nickel.
Even with the increased demand from the battery sector, nickel is primarily used in stainless steel products, which are still dominated by the Chinese manufacturing and real estate sectors.
Perhaps the most significant factors to consider are political. A new administration in the US and a shift in its approach to sourcing critical metals like nickel could alter the landscape for nickel producers in 2025.
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.
Accelerated Non-Renounceable Entitlement Offer Results
Under the Entitlement Offer, eligible shareholders were invited to subscribe for one (1) New Share for every four (4) existing Shares held at an offer price of $0.03 per share.
The Company has now closed the retail component of the Entitlement Offer with applications totalling 2,767,788 shares including additional acceptances to be issued at $0.03 on top of the 18,650,023 shares issued under the institutional component of the Entitlement Offer on 15 November 2024. In accordance with the timetable, the New Shares will be issued on or before 4 December 2024.
The retail component of the Entitlement Offer is partially underwritten by Nanjia Capital Limited “(Nanjia”) for the amount of approximately $1.09m. Accordingly, Nanjia will now subscribe for 36,349,900 New Shares in accordance with the underwriting arrangements summarised in section 7.4(b) of the Prospectus and the Company expects to finalise this process within the next week.
Shortfall Share Placement
A total of 74,946,591 New Shares were not taken up under the Entitlement Offer by eligible securityholders or issued to Nanjia as underwriter (“Shortfall Shares’”) The directors will work with the lead manager to the Entitlement Offer and the major shareholders to place the shortfall within three (3) months of the closing date, subject to requirements of the ASX Listing Rules and Corporations Act 20021 (Cth) continuing to be met. Please refer to the Prospectus dated 4 November 2024 for further details on the issue of the shortfall.
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.
Golden Mile Resources Investor Kit
- Corporate info
- Insights
- Growth strategies
- Upcoming projects