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Investing Guides
Pegmatites At Nepean To Be Assessed For Lithium Potential
October 13, 2021
Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) (Auroch or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has commenced sampling as part of the assessment of the lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) mineralisation potential at the Nepean Project in Western Australia (Auroch Minerals 80%).
Highlights
- Abundant pegmatites identified at the Nepean Project to be sampled for lithium-caesiumtantalum (LCT) mineralisation
- Recent drill-hole NPDD008 testing the Nepean Deeps nickel exploration target intersected a total of 700m of pegmatite intrusions, including one 350m thick pegmatite in the hanging-wall below the historic nickel mine workings1
- Multiple commodities including lithium and tantalum were historically mined from pegmatite intrusions at the Londonderry deposits only 6km north of the historic Nepean nickel mine
- Down-hole geophysical surveys are currently being completed on drill-hole NPDD008 to identify potential nickel sulphide targets for the ongoing Nepean Deeps drill programme
Pegmatite intrusions have been identified throughout the project area, including at the historic Nepean nickel mine itself, where multiple pegmatites intruded the mine sequence but were not historically assessed for any economic potential.
The abundance of pegmatites was also identified in the recently-completed first diamond drill-hole into the Nepean Deeps target, which was designed to test for down-plunge extensions to the highgrade nickel sulphide mineralisation below the historic Nepean mine. The drill-hole successfully intersected 46m of komatiitic ultramafics over three lower intervals which are highly prospective for nickel sulphide mineralisation (Figure 1)1 . In addition the hole intersected approximately 700m of pegmatite intrusions, including one 350m thick pegmatite in the hanging-wall below the historic nickel mine workings (Figure 1, Photograph 1)1 .
Figure 1 – Cross section of diamond hole NPDD008 drilled below the historic Nepean mine workings showing lithologies intersected against a 2D seismic survey section. The thick pegmatite intrusion shown corresponds with an area of weaker reflectors
The Company has initiated sampling of the pegmatites from the diamond core to be submitted for assaying for LCT mineralisation.
AOU:AU
31 October
Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX: BSX) – Trading Halt (2+2)
Description
The securities of Blackstone Minerals Limited (‘BSX’) will be placed in trading halt at the request of BSX, pending it releasing an announcement regarding the outcome of the institutional component of the accelerated entitlement offer. Unless ASX decides otherwise, the securities will remain in trading halt until the commencement of normal trading on Wednesday, 6 November 2024.
Issued by
ASX Compliance
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.
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30 October
Quarterly Report for the Period Ending 30 September 2024
Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX:BSX) is pleased to present its Quarterly Report.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Blackstone completed the precursor cathode active material (“pCAM”) NCM811 (nickel-cobalt- manganese in a ratio of 8-1-1) pilot program in October 2024. This is the last stage of outstanding testwork required to finalise the definitive feasibility studies (“DFS”).
- Good progress has been made in advancing the Investment Certificate for the refinery project in Son La Province in northern Vietnam. The Son La provincial government seeks feedback from a number of key ministries on the project. The Investment Certificate is on track for approval in Q4 2024.
- The Company has agreed non-binding indicative terms with a potential Vietnamese partner, FECON Group (“FECON”). FECON has the option to acquire up to 10% in the refinery project. FECON is a leading engineering and construction group in Vietnam and can assist Blackstone considerably in advancing the studies and permitting of our projects.
- The Company is in the final stages of completing the Ta Khoa Refinery (“TKR”) DFS. Outstanding DFS activities include pCAM pilot program analysis and reporting, residue handling testwork and facility design and finalising geotechnical assessments.
- In October 2024, the Company hosted a strategic and Joint Venture (“JV”) investor tour of the Wabowden Project, Manitoba, Canada, showcasing the opportunities which exist within the region, being a long-term feedstock opportunity for the Company’s flagship project, Ta Khoa Refinery, Vietnam.
- End of quarter cash position of $1.85m.
- Listed investments of $1.13m at the end of the quarter.
PROJECT UPDATE
TA KHOA REFINERY COMPLETED pCAM PILOTING
After successful completion of both the Ta Khoa Nickel (“TKN”) and Ta Khoa Refinery (“TKR”) pilot campaigns to produce battery grade nickel and cobalt sulphates (Refer to ASX announcement 15 November 2022), Blackstone announced it completed the 12-week piloting program in early-October 2024. Blackstone will conclude the pilot program analysis and reporting within the next quarter.
The pCAM pilot program was the last stage of testwork required to allow the Company to finalise TKR DFS testwork activities. The pCAM pilot program utilised feedstock generated during the TKR pilot program to produce on-specification pCAM material in the chemistry of NCM811 to ‘typical’ lithium- ion battery standards for the EV market. The samples generated from the pCAM pilot program will now be distributed to JV partners and for marketing purposes.
In July 2024, the Company hosted a number of strategic investor and external technical personnel tours of the piloting facility to showcase the team’s capability and technical viability of the Project. The tour allowed the Company to demonstrate its commitment to developing a vertically integrated flowsheet from pit to pCAM. Within the upcoming quarter the Company will complete the pCAM pilot report to support the conclusion of the TKR DFS.
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.
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29 October
Nordic Nickel's Rob Wrixon: Positive Metallurgical Results at Hotinvaara Enhance Pulju Project
Nordic Nickel (ASX:NNL) Executive Director Rob Wrixon is enthusiastic about the company’s Pulju project in Finland.
As highlighted by Wrixon, this project stands out due to its rare district-scale potential, particularly within Europe, where such opportunities are seldom found.
“It's about 40 kilometres of known mineralised strike, and it extends to depth as well,” he said, indicating not just surface-level, but extensive possibilities. These factors underline the critical role Pulju could play in fulfilling Europe's growing demand for domestic supply of nickel and cobalt.
The strategic location in Finland adds value, as the country accounts for 1 percent of global production. Wrixon noted, “As Europe goes further down this path of ensuring more domestic supply of these type of metals, then a project like Pulju is going to get more and more important.”
Metallurgical results from Hotinvaara
Nordic Nickel recently announced promising metallurgical test results from the Pulju project. Wrixon elaborated on these findings, emphasising their importance in transforming a low-grade deposit into a potentially viable economic asset.
“The key to everything is the metallurgy,” Wrixon stated, underscoring the critical nature of these results in transforming low-grade deposits into profitable ventures.
The findings reveal that Nordic Nickel could produce an 18.5 percent nickel concentrate, which Wrixon said is “extremely high by global standards.” Additionally, the potential to further enhance recoveries opens avenues for increased efficiency in extracting other valuable metals.
Pulju project’s polymetallic potential
Moving beyond nickel, the Pulju project offers considerable promise with its polymetallic prospects, including vital metals like cobalt, copper and platinum-group metals (PGMs). Wrixon emphasised that while nickel remains the main focus, the presence of other metals such as copper and PGMs might significantly contribute to the project's success.
He noted that during exploration, “When we look for the structural traps for the nickel, we may well be finding where the copper and PGMs are as well.”
Nordic Nickel's Pulju project holds potential for Europe's domestic critical metals supply, anchored by its strategic location and promising geological attributes. Additionally, the project's potential to yield not just nickel, but also cobalt, copper and PGMs, underscores its richness as a polymetallic site, promising diversification and increased market resilience.
Wrixon remains optimistic about the road ahead, signaling ongoing exploration and potential strategic partnerships as the company aims to unlock further value from the Pulju project.
Watch the full interview with Nordic Nickel Managing Director and CEO Todd Ross above.
Disclaimer: This interview is sponsored by Nordic Nickel (ASX:NNL). This interview provides information which was sourced by the Investing News Network (INN) and approved by Nordic Nickel in order to help investors learn more about the company. Nordic Nickel is a client of INN. The company’s campaign fees pay for INN to create and update this interview.
INN does not provide investment advice and the information on this profile should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. INN does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company profiled.
The information contained here is for information purposes only and is not to be construed as an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of securities. Readers should conduct their own research for all information publicly available concerning the company. Prior to making any investment decision, it is recommended that readers consult directly with Nordic Nickeland seek advice from a qualified investment advisor.
This interview may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, receipt of property titles, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. The issuer relies upon litigation protection for forward-looking statements. Investing in companies comes with uncertainties as market values can fluctuate.
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28 October
September 2024 Quarterly Report
Impressive metallurgical results from Hotinvaara, regional geological mapping campaign completed, detailed BOT database analysis ongoing.
Nordic Nickel Limited’s (“Nordic Nickel” or “the Company”) (ASX:NNL) flagship 100%-owned Pulju Project is located in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB) of Finland, 50km north of the town of Kittilä, with access to world-class infrastructure, grid power, a national highway and an international airport. Pulju is a rare, district scale nickel-copper-cobalt exploration and development opportunity in a progressive mining jurisdiction in Europe. Finland is also home to Europe’s only nickel smelters.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Excellent first-pass metallurgical test results for the Hotinvaara deposit were released post Quarter end.
- Premium concentrate can be produced with good nickel and cobalt recovery.
- Positive ramifications for the entire Pulju project.
- Further Bottom of Till (“BOT”) drill sample results from the Pulju Project area acquired from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) during the Quarter.
- Database now contains over 13,000 samples, a source of data previously unknown to the Company.
- Excellent geochemical targeting information, detailed analysis is ongoing.
- Detailed summer mapping program to prioritise future drilling targets completed during the Quarter.
- Board re-structure and other cost saving measures were implemented during the Quarter.
- An additional A$1.05M in funding was raised during the Quarter via an undiscounted private placement to existing shareholders.
- Discussions with potential strategic partners at Pulju are ongoing.
Pulju Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project
The known nickel mineralisation in the CLGB is typically associated with ultramafic cumulate and komatiitic rocks such as those at Pulju, with high-grade, massive sulphide lenses often associated lower grade disseminated sulphides. The disseminated nickel-cobalt at Pulju is widespread both laterally and at depth and indicates the presence of a vast nickel-rich system.
Following the conclusion of the 2023 drilling campaign, in March 2024, Nordic Nickel reported an updated in situ Mineral Resource Estimate for the Hotinvaara Prospect at the Pulju Project which comprises 418 million tonnes grading 0.21% Ni, 0.01% Co and 53ppm Cu for 862,800 tonnes of contained Ni, 40,000t of contained Co and 22,100t of contained Cu1. However, the drilled footprint at Hotinvaara represents just 2km of the known 35km of strike within the known mapped, mineralised ultramafic unit at Pulju, highlighting the potential for significant resource growth.
Pulju is located 195km from Boliden’s Kevitsa Ni-Cu-Au-PGE mine and 9.5Mtpa processing plant in Sodankylä, Finland. Kevitsa provides feed for the 35ktpa Harjavalta smelter, which is located approximately 950km to the south and processes concentrate from Kevitsa’s disseminated nickel sulphide ore. Europe’s only other smelter is Terrafame’s 37ktpa Sotkamo smelter, located 560km south-east of Pulju which processes ore from the nearby Talvivaara nickel-zinc mine.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Nordic Nickel, 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.
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23 October
Top 9 Countries by Nickel Reserves (Updated 2024)
Investors interested in nickel stocks are often curious about which countries produce significant amounts of the metal. After all, major producers are often home to many miners and explorers.
But investors should also be aware of which countries hold significant nickel reserves. Why? Many countries that produce large amounts of nickel have big nickel reserves, which shows they have the potential to continue being players in the space long term. On the other hand, some countries produce little nickel, but have high reserves of the metal.
Much of global demand for nickel comes from the steel making industry, particularly in China. The Asian nation is the largest consumer of nickel in the world, accounting for around 65 percent of total consumption, with the majority of it making its way into steel products. The electric vehicle (EV) battery market is emerging as another key market for nickel.
It’s possible that in the future countries with vast nickel reserves could become major players in the space, so exploration companies that already have boots on the ground could be worth watching.
With that in mind, here’s an overview of the nine countries with the largest nickel reserves. Total world nickel reserves are greater than 130 million metric tons (MT), with nickel reserves in countries outside these top nine nations making up just 9.1 million metric tons. All nickel reserves by country data is based on the US Geological Survey’s most recent report, and mine data is sourced from mining database MDO.
1. Indonesia
Nickel reserves: 55 million metric tons
Indonesia has the highest nickel reserves in the world, coming in at 55 million metric tons, and it also takes the top spot for nickel production, with 1.8 million MT of the metal produced last year.
Indonesia’s nickel production has grown exponentially from 2017’s output of 345,000 MT. In fact, it only broke the 1 million MT mark in 2021, meaning it increased by 800,000 MT in just two years. The massive increase is part of the country’s work to build out its EV battery industry in the hopes of being a major supplier to China.
While the electrification push is meant to help save the planet from the catastrophic environmental damage of climate change, in an ironic twist, the massive push for increased EV battery-grade nickel mining in Indonesia is threatening the existence of one of the world's last uncontacted hunter gatherer tribes, as per the BBC.
Two of the countries biggest nickel producing mines are the Hengjaya nickel-iron-cobalt mine and the Weda Bay nickel mine. Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC) owns an 80 percent stake in the Hengjaya nine, which is comprised of a large tonnage, high grade nickel laterite deposit with a mine life expected to extend to 2035. The Weda Bay mine, considered the largest nickel in the world, is operated by PT Weda Bay Nickel, a joint venture (43/57) between Eramet Group (EPA:ERA) and Chinese private company Tsingshan Holding Group.
2. Australia
Nickel reserves: 24 million metric tons
Australia has the second highest nickel reserves in the world, at 24 million metric tons. However, it should be noted that Australia's JORC-compliant proven and probable reserves stand at 865 million MT. In terms of nickel output, Australia only ranks sixth among the world's largest nickel producers, with 160,000 MT produced in 2023.
Australia might see its production levels drop next year as some of the top-producing nickel mines in Australia are mothballed due to oversupply from Indonesia.
BHP's (NYSE:BHP,ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP) Nickel West assets saw 85 percent of its nickel production sold to global battery materials suppliers. However, market conditions have led to the company to make a decision to place Nickel West on care and maintenance by the end of 2024. This follows First Quantum Minerals' (TSX:FM,LSE:FQM) decision to shutter the Ravensthorpe mine, in which South Korean steelmaker POSCO (NYSE:PKX,KRX:005490) has a 30 percent equity stake.
3. Brazil
Nickel reserves: 16 million metric tons
The third largest nickel reserves belong to Brazil, which has a total of 16 million metric tons. The country has seen a rise in nickel production the past few years, with output expanding from 76,100 MT in 2021 to 89,000 MT in 2023. Even so, it still came in as the eighth largest nickel producer in the world.
Brazilian mining company Vale (NYSE:VALE) is a major nickel producer in the country. It owns a 90 percent stake in the the Onca Puma mine, one of the world's largest global producers of the metal.
Other companies mining and exploring for the base metal in the country include Anglo American (LSE:AAL,OTCQX:AAUKF), which owns the world-class Barro Alto ferronickel mine and processing complex, and Centaurus Metals (ASX:CTM,OTCQX:CTTZF), which is developing the Jaguar nickel sulfide project. Jaguar has a defined global mineral resource estimate totaling 138.2 million MT at 0.87 percent nickel for 1.2 million MT of contained nickel. Centaurus is aiming to make a final investment decision by the second quarter of 2025.
4. Russia
Nickel reserves: 8.3 million metric tons
Russia, the world’s fourth largest nickel producer in 2023, holds a vast amount of nickel reserves at 8.3 million metric tons. The country experienced a production slump last year, putting out 200,000 MT compared to 222,000 MT in 2022.
Norilsk Nickel (MCX:GMKN), one of the world’s largest nickel and palladium producers, operates in Russia.
Analysts are concerned about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on global nickel supply. For the most part, the country’s nickel production feeds into the steelmaking sector rather than the battery market. “Russia plays an outsize role in nickel markets," the New York Times notes in an article. “Norilsk is among a limited number of companies authorized to sell a specialized form of nickel on the London Metal Exchange, which handles all nickel trading.”
5. New Caledonia
Nickel reserves:7.1 million metric tons
New Caledonia hosts the world's fifth largest nickel reserves at 7.1 million metric tons, and the South Pacific French Territory is also the third largest nickel producer, with output of 230,000 MT in 2023. Its nickel industry is the centerpiece of New Caledonia's economy.
Historically, New Caledonia had resisted selling nickel ore directly to large nickel-consuming countries such as China in order to preserve its domestic smelting and refining industry, which is one of its key sources of revenue. However, in recent years, New Caledonia has begun exporting to China, with 39.2 percent of its nickel exports in 2022 going to the Asian country.
Goro and the Societe Le Nickel are two of the major nickel mines in New Caledonia. Operated by Prony Resources New Caledonia, in which Trafigura has a 19 percent stake, Goro produces a chemical form of nickel and cobalt known as mixed hydroxide precipitate that can be used in EV batteries. The Societe Le Nickel mine is a joint venture between Eramet Group (56 percent), the New Caledonia provincial government (34 percent) and Nisshin Steel (10 percent).
New Caledonia became a hot bed of political unrest with pro-independence rioting in May 2024. This has further damaged its beleaguered economy, and halted nickel mining operations.
6. Philippines
Nickel reserves: 4.8 million metric tons
Next on this nickel reserves list is the Philippines, coming in at 4.8 million MT. The country’s nickel production grew significantly last year, rising from 345,000 MT in 2021 to 400,000 MT in 2023.
Nickel Asia is one of the country's leading nickel producers. It's wholly owned nickel operations include the Cagdianao and Hinatuan mines. The company also has a significant stake in the Rio Tuba (60 percent) and Taganito (65 percent) nickel mines.
Nickel Asia supplies limonite ore from its Rio Tuba mine to the Philippines' first hydrometallurgical nickel processing plant. The Coral Bay plant is owned by Coral Bay Nickel, in which Nickel Asia has a 10 percent equity interest.
7. China
Nickel reserves: 4.2 million metric tons
China hosts the seventh largest nickel reserves in the world, coming in at 4.2 million metric tons. The country’s nickel production in 2023 was nearly on par with the previous year, totaling 110,000 MT compared to 114,000 MT in 2022.
Although China is seventh in terms of both nickel reserves and production, the Asian nation plays a significant role in nickel pricing due to the commodity’s role in stainless steel production. China is both the largest steel-producing country and the largest consumer of the alloy metal.
8. Canada
Nickel reserves: 2.2 million metric tons
Next up on this list of largest nickel reserves is Canada with 2.2 million metric tons of nickel. The country also ranks as the fifth largest nickel producer, increasing its output from 143,000 MT in 2022 to 180,000 MT in 2023.
Canada’s key nickel mines include Vale’s Sudbury, Thompson and Voisey’s Bay operations, as well as Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF) Raglan mine in Quebec and Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations in Ontario. Also in the Sudbury, Ontario region. Global miner KGHM Polska Miedz (WSE:KGH) is constructing the Victoria underground copper-nickel mine.
9. United States
Nickel reserves: 340,000 metric tons
Last on this largest nickel reserves list is the US, which hosts nickel reserves of 340,000 metric tons. With much less nickel in its back pocket than the other nations here, the US is also at the bottom when it comes to the world’s largest nickel producers. In 2023, the country’s nickel output came in at 17,000 MT, a slight decrease of 500 MT from the year before.
The US has only one primary nickel operation: Lundin Mining’s (TSX:LUN,OTC Pink:LUNMF) Eagle mine, located on the Yellow Dog Plains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
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.
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22 October
Excellent Metallurgical Results at Hotinvaara Enhance Entire Pulju Project
Premium nickel concentrate can be produced from the extensive disseminated pentlandite present throughout the Hotinvaara deposit.
Nordic Nickel Limited (ASX: NNL; Nordic, or the Company) is pleased to announce extremely positive results from its first pass metallurgical testing program for its Hotinvaara nickel-cobalt deposit in northern Finland. The current in in-situ JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate at Hotinvaara is for 418Mt @ 0.21% Ni and 0.01% Co (0.22% NiEq1) for 862,800t contained Ni and 40,000t contained Co2.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Master composite from 11 samples across the Hotinvaara deposit produced a clean concentrate of 18.4% Ni and 0.66% Co after Locked Cycle Testing.
- Ni recovery of 62% achieved in a first pass program, employing a straightforward, conventional grinding and flotation process (cobalt recovery 51%).
- On average for the master composite, 75% of the total nickel assay is in sulphide form, and nickel deportment in the sulphides is almost entirely in pentlandite.
- Excellent results achieved with a relatively coarse grind of 90 microns, with no re- grind required.
- Comminution test work indicates the ore would be amenable to SAG milling and is not abrasive, both positive for project economics.
- Result is a superior, high-grade nickel concentrate with payable cobalt.
- Hotinvaara’s metallurgical properties compare favourably with similar lower grade nickel sulphide deposits currently under development in Canada.
- Achieving such a premium quality concentrate can be achieved from the abundant lower grade disseminated nickel sulphides at Hotinvaara bodes well for the rest of the Pulju Belt project area.
The Hotinvaara licence itself, within which the deposit sits, covers 5km2 to the southwest of the 240km2 Pulju Project area. The drilled footprint at Hotinvaara represents just 2km of the known 35km of mineralised strike that the prospective ultramafic unit lies within, highlighting the strong potential for resource growth.
The Pulju Project is a rare, district scale nickel-copper-cobalt exploration and development opportunity within a progressive mining district in Europe. To date, Pulju has been shown to host predominantly shallow, disseminated lower-grade nickel sulphides, such as those forming the majority of the current Hotinvaara deposit, but also some minor, but extremely high-grade massive/remobilised sulphides. Regarding the latter, these thin zones of concentrated, remobilised iron-nickel sulphides so far intersected at Hotinvaara have attained grades of up to 9.6% Ni3, demonstrating that Pulju has the potential for a style of extremely high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation that has yet to be targeted.
The metallurgical test results reported here demonstrate that the lower grade disseminated nickel sulphide mineralisation at Hotinvaara is amenable to conventional processing and can produce a premium concentrate. Therefore, the next stage of exploration at Pulju may confidently focus on both known styles of mineralisation to achieve potentially valuable outcomes:
1) Increasing the existing resource base by targeting more of the shallow disseminated nickel zones, particularly in the known higher-grade areas. Although the overall grade of the current Hotinvaara resource is 0.22% NiEq, substantial higher-grade zones exist within these wide areas of dissemination, generally associated with greater levels of recrystallisation/remobilisation and higher Ni-in-sulphide content, including:
- 97m @ 0.33% Ni and 0.01% Co in HOV0073;
- 13m @ 0.47% Ni and 0.01% Co in HOV0103;
- 13m @ 0.33% Ni and 0.03% Co in HOV0263; and
- 26m @ 0.59% Ni and 0.02% Co in HOT0164.
Preferentially targeting these zones within the shallow disseminated nickel mineralisation becomes a valuable and viable path for future exploration.
2) Identifying and testing the structures that may have trapped and further concentrated these extensive remobilised sulphides found at Pulju. As a reminder, drilling at Hotinvaara has confirmed that conditions exist for the formation of extremely high grade remobilised and massive sulphides, albeit only in thin zones thus far, for example:
- 0.26m @ 9.61% Ni, 0.36% Co and 0.17% Cu in HOV0323;
- 0.90m @ 4.98% Ni, 0.14% Co and 0.03% Cu in HOV0323;
- 0.32m @ 5.03% Ni, 0.24% Co and 0.06% Cu in HOV0393; and
- 0.60m @ 4.66% Ni, 0.10% Co and 0.02% Cu in HOT0065.
An important next step in pursuit of this depositional model is a detailed structural analysis of the entire Pulju Belt to highlight structural features that may host depositional trap sites for accumulating and concentrating these remobilised sulphides. This analysis will integrate current and historical datasets such as airborne geophysics, surface mapping and the newly acquired BOT sampling database to prioritise later drill testing.
Hotinvaara Metallurgical Test Program - Report Summary
The testwork was conducted by Blue Coast Research in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada and was initiated to develop a baseline metallurgical treatment scheme aimed at making a saleable grade nickel concentrate. Comminution and flotation data sufficient to provide cost input into a potential future economic study of the project were to be created, together with preliminary estimates of recoveries and concentrate quality.
Sixteen samples in total were selected to represent a variety of expected metallurgical response types. Most are siliceous samples from the predominant ultramafic unit spanning a range of nickel head grades and sulphide nickel contents, selected to provide a geospatially and geostatistically valid representation of the main ore body, albeit with a logical bias in favour of shallower samples.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Nordic Nickel, 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.
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