Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: A2D) ("Tartisan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has closed $1,797,000.00 in flow-through financing. This was comprised of 5,615,625 flow-through units of the Company at the price of $0.32 per unit for an aggregate subscription price of $1,798.000. Each unit comprises one flow-through share and one-half of one warrant. Each full warrant will entitle the holder thereof to acquire one additional common share of the Company exercisable at a price of $0.70 per warrant share for a period of 18 months from the Closing date. A finder's commission of 6% cash and 6% brokers warrants was paid to eligible agents including but not limited to GloRes Securities Limited. The units issued under the flow-through financing are subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the closing date.
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Tartisan Nickel Corp. Closes $1,500,000 Flow-Through Financing at $0.24 per Share with a Thirteen Month Escrow Period
Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQB: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA)("Tartisan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has closed $1,500,000.00 in flow-through financing with a Thirteen-month escrow period. 6,250,000 flow-through shares of the Company have been issued at the price of $0.24 per share for an aggregate subscription price of $1,500,000. The flow through shares are subject to a thirteen ("13") month escrow period from the Closing date. A 5% commission was paid to agents.
The proceeds from the flow-through financing are primarily being used to fund the exploration, development, and advancement of the Company's flagship Kenbridge Nickel Project, Atikwa Lake Area, Kenora Mining District, Ontario.
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company which owns; the Kenbridge Nickel Project in northwestern Ontario; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as well as the Night Danger Turtle Pond project in northwestern Ontario.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange CSE: TN) (OTCQB: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA). Currently, there are 128,219,004 shares outstanding (133,719,004 fully diluted).
For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan Nickel Corp. can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. Closes $1,798,000 Flow-Through Financing at $0.32 per Unit
The proceeds from the flow-through financing are being used to fund the exploration, development, advancement and feasibility of the Company's flagship Kenbridge Nickel Project, Atikwa Lake Area, Kenora Mining District, Ontario. The Company has commenced the work program as outlined in the July 2022 P.E.A (SEDAR).
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company which owns; the Kenbridge Nickel Project in northwestern Ontario; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as well as the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru. The Company has an equity stake in; Eloro Resources Limited, Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited, Peruvian Metals Corp. and Silver Bullet Mines Inc.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: A2D). There are 114,538,128 shares outstanding after this current issuance.
For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan Nickel Corp. can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/146020
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Tartisan Nickel Corp. Files Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Kenbridge Nickel Project, Northwestern Ontario, on SEDAR
Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA) ("Tartisan", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion and filing of the Preliminary Economic Assessment(" PEA") for the 100% owned Kenbridge Nickel Project, Northwestern Ontario (SEDAR August 26, 2022). The Kenbridge Nickel Project is in the Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario. The property is covered by patented and unpatented mining claims totalling 4,108.42 ha. Since 1937, 665 surface and underground drill holes totalling 99,741 meters have been completed on the property. Kenbridge has an existing shaft to a depth of 2,042 ft (622 m), with 13 level stations at 150 ft. (46 m) intervals below the shaft collar and two levels developed at 350 ft (107 m) and 500 ft (152 m) below the shaft collar.
The PEA was independently prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. ("P&E") of Brampton, Ontario under the supervision of Eugene J. Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET.
Highlights of the PEA (All currency is $CDN unless stated otherwise)
This PEA is focused solely on underground mining of the Mineral Resources at the Kenbridge Nickel Project and provides a solid base case for moving the Kenbridge Nickel Project forward. The PEA indicates a 9-year mine plan based on a 1,500 tonne per day underground mining and processing operation, which would have the capacity and could potentially accelerate to 2,000 t.p.d. The mine plan assumes the potentially extractable tonnage of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources which assumes overall dilution of 47% (18% internal dilution from stope designs plus 29% external dilution) and a 94% mine recovery factor. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources represent 3,445,000 tonnes at 0.97% Ni, 0.52% Cu and 0.013% Co (74 Mlb Ni, 39.1 Mlb Cu). Inferred Mineral Resources represent 1,014,000 tonnes at 1.47% Ni, 0.67% Cu and 0.011% Co (32.7 Mlb Ni, 14.9 Mlb Cu). Metal prices are based on long-term industry consensus forecast with nickel representing the primary contribution to revenues. USD metal prices used in the PEA were USD$10/lb Ni, USD$4/lb Cu and USD$26/lb Co. A $USD:$CDN exchange rate of 0.78 is applied.
LOM revenues from net smelter returns are estimated at $837 million. LOM operating costs are estimated at $292 million. Mining costs are estimated at $38.93per tonne mined, processing costs are $17.74 per tonne and G&A costs are $7.96 per tonne. Cash operating costs are estimated at US$3.76/lb NiEq and all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") are US$4.99/lb NiEq. LOM capital costs are estimated at $227 million and include pre-production capital costs of $133.7-million. Pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") is estimated at $182.5 million using a 5% discount rate. Pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") is 26%. Payback period is 3.5 years on an after-tax basis.
Mark Appleby President and CEO of Tartisan states: "The Kenbridge Nickel Project PEA is focused solely on the current underground Mineral Resource. There is excellent potential to increase and upgrade the quality of the near surface mineralization at Kenbridge thereby adding additional years of production or providing the basis for an increase in annual throughput. The PEA provides compelling evidence to move into Pre-Feasibility and for the Kenbridge Nickel Project to move into a production scenario. The Company has commenced the necessary baseline studies and has undertaken additional studies which are essential and necessary in Project Permitting. The Company continues to upgrade the access road to site with completion anticipated in late September, October 2022.
Cautionary Statement - The reader is advised that the PEA summarized in this news release is intended to provide only an initial, high-level review of the project potential and design options. The PEA mine plan and economic model include numerous assumptions and the use of Inferred Mineral Resources. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered to be too speculative to be used in an economic analysis except as allowed by NI 43-101 in PEA studies. There is no guarantee the project economics described herein will be achieved.
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and mine development company whose flagship asset is the Kenbridge Nickel-Copper Project located in the Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario. Tartisan also owns; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault St. Marie, Ontario as well as the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA). Currently, there are 108,922,503 shares outstanding (120,218,018 fully diluted).
Dean MacEachern P.Geo. and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng, FEC, CET are the respective Company and independent Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 and have read and approved the technical content of this News Release.
The Company has filed the PEA on SEDAR at www.sedar.com in accordance with NI 43-101.
For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan Nickel Corp. can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/135205
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VOX PROVIDES GOLD ROYALTY DEVELOPMENTS AND EXPLORATION UPDATES
Vox Royalty Corp. (TSXV: VOX) (OTCQX: VOXCF)Â (" Vox " or the " Company ") a returns focused precious metals royalty company, is pleased to provide recent development and exploration updates from royalty operating partners Norton Gold Fields Pty Ltd. (" Norton Gold "), Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX: NST) (" Northern Star "), Black Cat Syndicate Limited (ASX: BC8) (" Black Cat "), Norwest Minerals Limited (ASX: NWM) (" Norwest "), and Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (" Tartisan ").
Kyle Floyd , Chief Executive Officer stated: "The past two months have seen material progress on certain Vox gold royalty assets, with the opening of the Binduli North gold mine, ongoing construction at the Otto Bore gold mine by Northern Star and meaningful pre-production planning at the Bulong and Bulgera gold toll-treatment projects. This progress continues to support Vox management expectations of organic growth from 6 to 10 or more producing royalties by late 2023 and further revenue growth."
- Official opening of the Binduli North heap leach mine covered by the Janet Ivy gold royalty, released by Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd.'s (HKSE: 2899) (" Zijin Mining ") subsidiary, Norton Gold ;
- Construction update for the Otto Bore gold mine by Northern Star;
- Final high grade drilling results at the Myhree gold deposit by Black Cat, which is covered by the Bulong royalty;
- Development of pit designs, completion of a potential site layout and preparations for Mining Lease application at the Bulgera gold deposit by Norwest; and
- Completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment (" PEA ") and permitting update on the Kenbridge nickel project by Tartisan, indicating a potential 9-year mine life with a goal of production in approximately 3 years.
- Vox holds an uncapped A$0.50 /tonne production royalty over the Janet Ivy gold mine in Western Australia ;
- In March 2022 , Zijin Mining filed a mining proposal for the Binduli North 5Mtpa heap leach gold project, which was further described in Vox's operator update released on June 9, 2022 ;
- On July 8, 2022 , the Western Australian State Government announced :
- "The McGowan Government has congratulated Norton Gold Fields for officially opening its A$278 million Binduli North heap leach project;
- The project created 300 jobs during construction and will employ 200 workers during production; and
- The operation has an estimated 10-year life span and is expected to produce an average of 75,000 ounces of gold per year."
- Vox Management Summary: The official opening of the Binduli North mine is a major growth milestone for Vox and expected to unlock annual royalty revenues of A$2M – A$2.5M over the mine's ~10-year life. This expansion was the key potential catalyst that supported Vox management's decision to acquire the Janet Ivy royalty for ~A$5.5M in March 2021 .
- Vox holds a 2.5% net smelter return royalty (between 42koz – 100koz cumulative production) over the Otto Bore gold project in Western Australia , acquired in conjunction with the producing Janet Ivy / Binduli North gold royalty in March 2021 ;
- On July 20, 2022 , Northern Star announced :
- At Thunderbox, open pit mining continued with D Zone pre-strip and the installation of key infrastructure at Otto Bore to support open pit mining operation;
- 12% of Northern Star's A$650M group growth capex in FY23 is to be spent at Yandal hub on:
- Completion of the Thunderbox mill expansion, which is on track and on budget for commissioning and ramp up in the first half of 2023;
- Establishment of the Otto Bore mine; and
- New tailings dam.
- Vox Management Summary: Otto Bore is expected to become Vox's seventh producing royalty asset, commencing in the second half of 2022. Northern Star are developing this new gold mine as a feed source for the low-cost Thunderbox mill ahead of Vox management expectations.
- Vox holds an uncapped 1% net smelter royalty over part of the Bulong gold project in Western Australia ;
- On July 29, 2022 , Black Cat announced :
- Final Reverse Circulation (" RC ") grade control drilling at Myhree was undertaken in June 2022 . The first half of assay results have been returned and reinforced the high-grade open pit Ore Reserve of 0.6Mt @ 2.4 g/t Au for 46koz (1) ;
- Results include:
- 5m @ 19.63 g/t Au from 33m (22MYGC037);
- 7m @ 7.36 g/t Au from 30m (22MYGC038);
- 3m @ 7.29 g/t Au from 18m and 6m @ 13.91 g/t Au from 32m (22MYGC022);
- 4m @ 12.38 g/t Au from 37m (22MYGC036);
- 7m @ 4.89 g/t Au from 8m (22MYGC031);
- 3m @ 8.21 g/t Au from 6m (22MYGC032);
- 2m @ 10.24 g/t Au from 5m (22MYGC033);
- 4m @ 6.36 g/t Au from 27m (22MYGC039);
- 3m @ 11.12 g/t Au from 27m (22MYGC040);
- All grade control drilling at Myhree is now complete and remaining assays are expected in August 2022 ;
- Myhree open pit is fully approved and mining can commence once an ore processing solution is secured, discussions with interested parties are ongoing; and
- Black Cat's Managing Director, Gareth Solly , said, "Myhree was Black Cat's first discovery in 2018 and it is satisfying to know it has the potential to be our first producing mine. With the final results due within weeks, Myhree is now ready for production, subject to securing a processing solution for the high-grade ore."
- Vox Management Summary: Since Vox acquired the Bulong gold royalty from an Australian automotive group in September 2020 , the project has been aggressively advanced by Black Cat and is progressing closer to production. Black Cat is guiding towards potential commencement of toll-treated production from October 2022 onwards.
- Vox acquired the uncapped 1% NSR royalty over the Bulgera gold project in Western Australia for A$225k in March 2021 ;
- On July 29, 2022 , Norwest announced :
- Economic pit optimisation shells were developed into proper pit designs for the Bulgera, Mercuiri and Price deposits and a site layout completed;
- The company is compiling information and taking steps required to lodge an application for converting the project exploration license to a mining license;
- The application is currently being compiled and submission to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) in Western Australia is expected next quarter;
- Discussions to toll treat Bulgera gold resources continue with the local gold plant operator; and
- A program of drilling 15 x 200m RC holes to the west and east along strike from the Bulgera open cut has been approved and the commencement of this drill program is planned for 2023.
- Vox Management Summary: The Bulgera royalty was acquired for A$225k less than 18 months ago and is rapidly being fast-tracked towards a development decision with a mining license application expected next quarter. We look forward to the outcomes of ongoing discussions with the local gold plant operator regarding potential toll treatment.
- Vox holds an uncapped 1% net smelter return royalty on part of the Kenbridge nickel-copper project in Canada , which is subject to a full buyback right for C$1.5M in favour of Tartisan. Vox's 1% NSR royalty was originally created in January 2018 as part of a debt settlement between former Kenbridge project operator Canadian Arrow Mines Limited and Breakwater Resources Limited (as a subsidiary of Nyrstar);
- On July 12, 2022 , Tartisan announced the completion of a positive PEA for the Kenbridge Nickel Project (2) , with the following highlights:
- A 9-year mine plan based on a 1,500 tonne per day underground mining and processing operation;
- Life of mine revenues from net smelter returns are estimated at C$837 million (assuming USD metal prices of USD$10 /lb Ni, USD$4 /lb Cu and USD$26 /lb Co and a USD:CAD exchange rate of 0.78);
- Measured and Indicated mineral resources represent 3,508,000 tonnes at 0.70% Ni, 0.35% Cu and 0.01% Co (54 Mlb Ni, 27 Mlb Cu); and
- Inferred mineral resources represent 1,013,000 tonnes at 1.21% Ni, 0.56% Cu and 0.01% Co (27 Mlb Ni, 13 Mlb Cu).
- On August 16, 2022 , Tartisan announced that:
- Initial environmental baseline studies have concluded;
- "Phase 2" environmental baseline studies have commenced and are outlined as follows:
- Bathymetry for receiving waterbodies/Lakes surrounding the project;
- Fisheries Studies on creeks and lakes surrounding the project;
- Surface water quality sampling, stream flow monitoring and data download, and groundwater quality sampling from spring 2022 installed monitoring stations;
- Water Quality Profiling and Sampling from receiving waterbodies;
- Stage 1 Archeology Assessment;
- Stage 1 Geochemistry Assessment; and
- Tartisan's CEO Mark Appleby commented, " Baseline studies continue at the Kenbridge Nickel Project and signify the Company's commitment to an approximate three years to production timeline. The Company is continuing to review and implement all necessary steps in the permitting and mining approval process. The recently announced PEA results outlined robust economics and significant value of the Kenbridge Nickel Project. The full PEA Report will be available on SEDAR shortly ".
- Vox Management Summary: The Kenbridge royalty rights were acquired as part of the Nyrstar/Breakwater Resources portfolio of royalties in January 2021 and the project operator is now guiding towards potential first production in approximately three years. As a past-producing underground nickel-copper mine with an existing 609m shaft, this project has potential to be fast-tracked back into production.
Timothy J. Strong , MIMMM, of Kangari Consulting LLC and a "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this press release.
Vox is a returns focused precious metals royalty company with a portfolio of over 50 royalties and streams spanning eight jurisdictions. The Company was established in 2014 and has since built unique intellectual property, a technically focused transactional team and a global sourcing network which has allowed Vox to target the highest return on invested capital in the royalty sector. Since the beginning of 2020, Vox has announced over 20 separate transactions to acquire over 50 royalties.
Further information on Vox can be found at www.voxroyalty.com .
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results " may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements".
The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include, but are not limited to, Â summaries of operator updates provided by management and the potential impact on the Company of such operator updates, statements regarding expectations for the timing of commencement of development, construction at and/or resource production from various mining projects, expectations regarding the size, quality and exploitability of the resources at various mining projects, future operations and work programs of Vox's mining operator partners, the receipt of future royalty payments derived from various royalty assets of Vox, anticipated future cash flows and future financial reporting by Vox, and requirements for and operator ability to receive regulatory approvals.
Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Vox to control or predict, that may cause Vox's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the requirement for regulatory approvals and third party consents, the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over the mining operations from which Vox will receive royalties, including risks related to international operations, government relations and environmental regulation, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Vox's expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters, labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties.
Vox has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of Vox as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While Vox may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.
Neither the 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.
Except where otherwise stated, the disclosure in this press release is based on information publicly disclosed by project operators based on the information/data available in the public domain as at the date hereof and none of this information has been independently verified by Vox. Specifically, as a royalty investor, Vox has limited, if any, access to the royalty operations. Although Vox does not have any knowledge that such information may not be accurate, there can be no assurance that such information from the project operators is complete or accurate. Some information publicly reported by the project operators may relate to a larger property than the area covered by Vox's royalty interests. Vox's royalty interests often cover less than 100% and sometimes only a portion of the publicly reported mineral reserves, mineral resources and production from a property.
(1) | The Myhee drilling results and information in Black Cat's 29 July 2022 announcement that relates to geology, and planning was complied by Mr. Iain Levy, who is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. See https://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20220729/pdf/45c9knjl083f5m.pdf . |
(2) | Tartisan's press release titled, "Tartisan Nickel Corp. Provides Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment For The Kenbridge Nickel Project, Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario" dated 12 July 2022. Dean MacEachern, P.Geo. and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng, FEC, CET are the respective Tartisan and independent Qualified Persons under NI 43-101. See https://tartisannickel.com/tartisan-nickel-corp-provides-positive-preliminary-economic-assessment-for-the-kenbridge-nickel-project-kenora-mining-district-northwestern-ontario/ . |
SOURCE Vox Royalty Corp.
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2022/18/c7341.html
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Tartisan Nickel Corp.: Environmental Baseline Studies Enter Second Phase at the Kenbridge Nickel Project, Northwestern Ontario
Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA) ("Tartisan", or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the initial environmental baseline studies have concluded, and that "Phase 2" environmental baseline studies have commenced at the Kenbridge Nickel Project, Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario.
Tartisan had previously announced that Knight Piesold Consulting ("KP") and Blue Heron Environmental ("BH") have been retained to carry out these various time sensitive environmental baseline studies (SEDAR). Environmental baseline studies are critical in the permitting and approvals process and overall advancement of the Kenbridge Nickel Project. The Company is taking the necessary steps to advance the Kenbridge Nickel Project with the goal of nickel-copper production in approximately three years.
Work in "Phase 2" is outlined as follows:
- - Bathymetry for receiving waterbodies/Lakes surrounding the project
- - Fisheries Studies on creeks and lakes surrounding the project
- - Surface Water Quality Sampling from spring 2022 installed monitoring stations
- - Water Quality Profiling and Sampling from receiving waterbodies
- - Stream Flow Monitoring and data download from spring 2022 installed monitoring stations
- - Groundwater Quality Sampling from spring 2022 installed monitoring stations
- - Stage 1 Archeology Assessment
- - Stage 1 Geochemistry Assessment
Tartisan Nickel Corp. CEO Mark Appleby commented, "Baseline studies continue at the Kenbridge Nickel Project and signify the Company's commitment to an approximate three years to production timeline. The Company is continuing to review and implement all necessary steps in the permitting and mining approval process. The recently announced PEA results outlined robust economics and significant value of the Kenbridge Nickel Project. The full PEA Report will be available on SEDAR shortly."
The Kenbridge Nickel Project is located via the Trans-Canada Highway, 10.2 km from the township of Sioux Narrows. The Kenbridge Nickel Project has a Mineral Resource Estimate (SEDAR: June 1, 2021), a 622-meter three compartment shaft with two underground level workstations and has never been mined. As previously announced, Tartisan has retained P & E Mining Consultants Inc. to update the historic Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on the Kenbridge Nickel Project. The full Kenbridge Nickel Project PEA Report will be filed on SEDAR.
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and mine development company whose flagship asset is the Kenbridge Nickel Deposit located in northwestern Ontario. Tartisan also owns; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault St. Marie, Ontario as well as the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru amongst other assets.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA). Currently, there are 108,922,503 shares outstanding (120,218,018 fully diluted).
Dean MacEachern P. Geo. is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 and has read and approved the technical content of this News Release.
For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan Nickel Corp. can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/133963
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Tartisan Nickel Corp. Provides Positive Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Kenbridge Nickel Project, Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario
Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA) ("Tartisan", or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment(" PEA") for the 100% owned Kenbridge Nickel Project. The Kenbridge Nickel Project is in the Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario. Kenbridge has an existing shaft to a depth of 2,042 ft (622 m), with level stations at 150 ft. (45 m) intervals below the shaft collar and two levels developed at 350 ft (107 m) and 500 ft (152 m) below the shaft collar.
The PEA was independently prepared by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. ("P&E") of Brampton, Ontario under the supervision of Eugene J. Puritch, P.Eng., FEC, CET.
Highlights of the PEA (All currency is $CDN unless stated otherwise)
This PEA is focused solely on mining of the Mineral Resources at the Kenbridge Nickel Project underground mine and provides a solid base case for moving the Kenbridge Project forward. The PEA indicates a 9-year mine plan based on a 1,500 tonne per day underground mining and processing operation. The mine plan assumes the potentially extractable tonnage of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources which assumes overall dilution of 47% (18% internal dilution from stope designs plus 29% external dilution) and a 94% mine recovery factor. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources represent 3,508,000 tonnes at 0.70% Ni, 0.35% Cu and 0.01% Co (54 Mlb Ni, 27 Mlb Cu). Inferred Mineral Resources represent 1,013,000 tonnes at 1.21% Ni, 0.56% Cu and 0.01% Co (27 Mlb Ni, 13 Mlb Cu). Metal prices are based on long-term industry consensus forecast with nickel representing the primary contribution to revenues. USD metal prices used in the PEA were USD$10/lb Ni, USD$4/lb Cu and USD$26/lb Co. A $USD:$CDN exchange rate of 0.78 is applied. Life of mine ("LOM") processing recovers 200,900 tonnes of nickel concentrate at 15% Ni and 66,900 tonnes of copper concentrate at 24% Cu. This results in 52.6 million lbs of payable Ni and 30.7 million lbs of payable Cu.
LOM revenues from net smelter returns are estimated at $837 million. LOM operating costs are estimated at $292 million. Mining costs are estimated at $38.94 per tonne mined, processing costs are $17.74 per tonne and G&A costs are $7.96 per tonne. Cash operating costs are estimated at US$3.76/lb NiEq and all-in sustaining costs ("AISC") are US$4.99/lb NiEq. LOM capital costs are estimated at $227 million and include pre-production capital costs of $134 million. Pre-tax Net Present Value ("NPV") is estimated at $183 million using a 5% discount rate. Pre-tax Internal Rate of Return ("IRR") is 26%.
Net cash flow of $837 million less operating costs of $292 million less royalties of $22 million less closure costs of $10 million less capital expenditures of $227 million less taxes of $105 million results in an after-tax cash flow of $180 million. After-tax NPV using a 5% discount rate is estimated at $109 million and after-tax IRR is estimated at 20%. Financial highlights are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.
Mark Appleby, President and CEO of Tartisan, states: "We are extremely pleased with the results of the PEA which is focused solely on the current underground Mineral Resource. There remains excellent potential to increase and upgrade the quality of the near surface mineralization at Kenbridge thereby adding additional years of production or providing the basis for an increase in annual throughput. By adjusting the mining plan to be an underground operation it allows Tartisan to utilize the existing shaft infrastructure thereby accessing higher grades of mineralization early in the proposed mine life. The PEA provides compelling evidence to move towards Feasibility and for the Kenbridge Nickel Project to move into production. The Company has commenced the necessary baseline studies which are essential and necessary in Project Permitting and is upgrading the access road to site with completion anticipated in September 2022. Tartisan continues to develop positive relationships with its surrounding First Nations through its First Nation consulting partner Talon Resources and Community development Inc. Every effort is being made for the Tartisan Kenbridge Project to become a part of the nickel supply chain this decade!"
Table 1: Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return Calculations
Pre-Tax | After Tax | |
   Undiscounted NPV ($M) | 286 | 181 |
   NPV (5%) ($M) | 183 | 109 |
   IRR (%) | 26 | 20 |
   Payback (years) | 3.4 | 3.5 |
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Table 2: PEA Financial Highlights
General | Value | |
Nickel Price (US$/lb) | 10 | |
Copper Price (US$/lb) | 4 | |
Cobalt Price (US$/lb) | 26 | |
Exchange Rate (US$:C$) | 0.78 | |
LOM (years) | 9.0 | |
Production | ||
Ni Production (Mlb) | 52.6 | |
Cu Production (Mlb) | 30.7 | |
NiEq Mine Production (Mlb) | 65.3 | |
Average NiEq Annual Production (Mlb) | 7.3 | |
Operating Costs | ||
Mining Cost ($/t Mined) | 38.93 | |
Processing Cost ($/t Processed) | 17.74 | |
G&A Cost ($/t Processed) | 7.96 | |
Total Operating Costs ($/t Processed) | 64.64 | |
NSR Royalty after 1.5% buyback (%) | 2.50 | |
Cash Costs (US$/lb NiEq) | 3.76 | |
AISC (US$/lb NiEq) | 4.99 | |
Capital Costs | ||
Initial Capital ($M) | 133.7 | |
Sustaining Capital ($M) | 93.1 | |
Closure Costs ($M) | 10.0 | |
Financials | Pre-Tax | After-Tax |
NPV (5%) ($M) | 182.5 | 109.1 |
IRR (%) | 26 | 20 |
Payback (years) | 3.4 | 3.5 |
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The previous Mineral Resource Estimate on the Kenbridge Project was disclosed on September 2, 2020, and was based on a combination of pit-constrained and out-of-pit Mineral Resources. There has since been 10 holes drilled in 2021. Updated engineering studies have indicated that potential pit-constrained Mineral Resources are less economic than out-of-pit Mineral Resources. Therefore, the new drill holes have been incorporated into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate based on a potential underground mining operation, as presented in Table 3 below. The effective date of the Mineral Resource is July 6, 2022.
Table 3 Mineral Resource Estimate(1-4) | |||||||||
Class | Cut-off NSR C$/t | Tonnes (k) | Ni (%) | Ni (Mlb) | Cu (%) | Cu (Mlb) | Co (%) | Co (Mlb) | NSR (C$/t) |
Measured | 100 | 1,867 | 0.99 | 41.0 | 0.50 | 20.6 | 0.017 | 0.7 | 184.40 |
Indicated | 100 | 1,578 | 0.95 | 33.0 | 0.53 | 18.5 | 0.009 | 0.3 | 180.26 |
Meas+Ind | 100 | 3,445 | 0.97 | 74.0 | 0.52 | 39.1 | 0.013 | 1.0 | 182.51 |
Inferred | 100 | 1,014 | 1.47 | 32.7 | 0.67 | 14.9 | 0.011 | 0.2 | 263.38 |
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Note: Ni =Nickel Cu = Copper, Co = Cobalt, NSR = Net Smelter Return.
1. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.
2. The estimate of Mineral Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues.
3. The Inferred Mineral Resource in this estimate has a lower level of confidence than that applied to an Indicated Mineral Resource and must not be converted to a Mineral Reserve. It is reasonably expected that the majority of the Inferred Mineral Resource could be upgraded to an Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration.
4. The Mineral Resources were estimated using the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines (2014) and Best Practices Guidelines (2019) prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by the CIM Council.
5. The Mineral Resource Estimate is based on US$ metal prices of $8.25/lb Ni, $4.00/lb Cu, $26/lb Co. The US$:CDN$ exchange rate used was 0.76.
6. The NSR estimate uses flotation recoveries of 75% for Ni, 77% for Cu, 40% for Co and smelter payables of 92% for Ni, 96% for Cu, 50% for Co.
7. Mineral Resources were determined to be potentially extractable with the longhole mining method based on an underground mining cost of $77/t mined, processing of $19/t and G&A costs of $4/t.
Cautionary Statement - The reader is advised that the PEA summarized in this news release is intended to provide only an initial, high-level review of the project potential and design options. The PEA mine plan and economic model include numerous assumptions and the use of Inferred Mineral Resources. Inferred Mineral Resources are considered to be too speculative to be used in an economic analysis except as allowed by NI 43-101 in PEA studies. There is no guarantee the project economics described herein will be achieved.
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company whose flagship asset is the Kenbridge Nickel-Copper Project located in the Kenora Mining District, Northwestern Ontario. Tartisan also owns; the Sill Lake Silver Property in Sault St. Marie, Ontario as well as the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: TN) (OTCQX: TTSRF) (FSE: 8TA). Currently, there are 108,922,503 shares outstanding (120,218,018 fully diluted).
Dean MacEachern, P.Geo. and Eugene Puritch, P.Eng, FEC, CET are the respective Company and independent Qualified Persons under NI 43-101 and have read and approved the technical content of this News Release.
The Company will file the PEA on SEDAR at www.sedar.com in accordance with NI 43-101 within 45 days of this news release.
For further information, please contact Mark Appleby, President & CEO, and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 (info@tartisannickel.com). Additional information about Tartisan Nickel Corp. can be found at the Company's website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, 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 Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130620
News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia
ASX Nickel Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies in 2024
Nickel has traditionally been used in alloys such as stainless steel. However, in recent years, growing demand for lithium-ion batteries has brought attention to its role in the quickly developing battery sector.
In Australia, the country's largest nickel-mining stocks are providing key support for both markets.
Nickel saw strong volatility in the first half of 2024 as Indonesian supply continued to flood the market, with some companies curtailing their production as the price fell below the US$16,000 per tonne mark in February.
A broad increase in commodities prices in April and May pushed nickel to a year-to-date high of US$21,615, but the base metal quickly fell again below the US$16,000 mark. Despite a boost past US$18,000 in early October, as of December 17, nickel prices were back down to US$15,775 per MT.
Given the challenges for nickel in 2024, share prices for many Australian producers have declined. With the long-term outlook for nickel being more robust, there may be opportunities for less risk-averse investors to find good entry points to the Australian nickel sector.
Below are the five largest nickel stocks on the ASX by market cap. Data for this list was gathered using TradingView's stock screener, and all values were accurate as of December 17, 2024.
1. BHP (ASX:BHP)
Market cap: AU$204.67 billion
Share price: AU$40.52
BHP is a diversified mining company with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. Worldwide, BHP runs dozens of mines that span North and South America and Australia. The company produces nickel sulphide ore out of its operations in Western Australia's Northern Goldfields area. It covers the mining, development and production of nickel until both matte and metal are ready to be shipped to buyers. BHP sells over 85 percent of its nickel to the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
BHP is on its way toward net-zero nickel production. In September 2022, its Nickel West division signed a deal with renewable energy company Enel Green Power to begin construction of the Flat Rocks wind farm in Western Australia. The project is set to include 18 wind turbines, and they will be the tallest wind turbines in Western Australia. As of October 2023, more than half of the wind turbines were already in place. The first stage of the wind farm is expected to provide enough energy to power BHP's Kalgoorlie nickel smelter and Kambalda concentrator once complete.
In the operational review for its 2024 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, BHP reported production of 81,600 tonnes of nickel during the period, a 2 percent increase compared to its 2023 fiscal year. This came in at the middle range of its 2024 guidance, which was set at 77,000 to 87,000 tonnes.
In October, BHP temporarily suspended nickel production from its Nickel West operations due to oversupply and low prices, but will continue to invest in the site to enable a restart and support. It will review the decision by February 2027.
2. IGO (ASX:IGO)
Market cap: AU$3.79 billion
Share price: AU$5.09
IGO is a diversified miner that produces several different metals, but its focus is on its 100 percent owned Nova nickel-copper-cobalt operation. Nova is located in Western Australia's Fraser Range and primarily produces nickel.
The company's results for its first fiscal quarter of 2025 show that nickel production from Nova came in at 3,692 tonnes, down 42 percent from the previous quarter on reduced ore grades and a flow through to recoveries.
IGO's other nickel production operation is Forrestania, at which operations have now been put under care and maintenance as of the December quarter. Forrestania put out 802 tonnes in Q1, down 36 percent from the previous quarter due to the earlier than planned closure of the Spotted Quoll mine following a major seismic event in July.
IGO also has a 49 percent stake in the Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia joint venture with Tianqi Lithium (SZSE:002466,HKEX:9696). The joint venture has 51 percent ownership of Greenbushes, Australia's largest lithium mine.
3. Nickel Industries (ASX:NIC)
Market cap: AU$3.78 billion
Share price: AU$0.84
New South Wales-based Nickel Industries, formerly Nickel Mines, is a significant producer of nickel pig iron, a critical component in manufacturing stainless steel. The company began producing high-grade nickel matte for EVs in 2022.
Nickel Industries has 80 percent interests in multiple nickel rotary kiln electric furnace (RKEF) operations in Indonesia: Hengjaya Nickel, Oracle Nickel and Ranger Nickel in the Morowali Industrial Park, and Angel Nickel in the Weda Bay Industrial Park. It also has an 80 percent interest in the Hengjaya nickel mine near the Morowali Industrial Park.
In the company's 2023 annual report, it reported that its operations set a nickel production record of 131,126 tonnes. This included contained nickel in the 834,192 tonnes of nickel pig iron it produced with an average grade of 12.9 percent nickel, along with additional low-grade matte production of 119,822 tonnes grading 17.1 percent.
In its June quarterly report, the company reported that it had brought its interest in the Excelsior nickel-cobalt project up to 44 percent, an increase of 30.25 percent. The project is currently under construction and is expected to commissioned ahead of October 2025.
Nickel Industries September quarterly report highlighted that the period was the company's strongest quarter of the year, during which it delivered "over US$100 million in EBITDA from operations, a key contributor to this strong result was the record ore production and sales of almost 3 million wmt for the quarter from our Hengjaya Mine which delivered US$37.3 million in EBITDA."
4. Centaurus Metals (ASX:CTM)
Market cap: AU$183.78 million
Share price: AU$0.375
Centaurus Metals is a mining and development company based in Brazil. According to the company, its goal is to become a major supplier of nickel sulphide to help provide a cleaner and greener future. The firm has its sights set on the development of its wholly owned Jaguar nickel-copper-cobalt project, which is located in Brazil's Carajás mineral province.
On July 2, Centaurus released a feasibility study for Jaguar forecasting an after-tax net present value of AU$997 million with an internal rate of return of 31 percent and payback period of 2.7 years from first production.
The following month, the company released an updated mineral resource estimate of 138.2 million tonnes at 0.87 percent nickel for 1.2 million tonnes of contained nickel. This includes measured and indicated resources of 112.6 million tonnes at 0.87 percent nickel for 978,900 tonnes of contained nickel.
An underground scoping study is now underway on the high-grade nickel resource immediately below the feasibility study pit.
5. Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL)
Market cap: AU$69.89 million
Share price: AU$0.335
Ardea Resources is developing its wholly owned Kalgoorlie nickel-cobalt 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.” Ardea is currently working toward 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.
In July 2023, 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.
The company announced on August 14, 2024, that it had been notified that the consortium had obtained approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board for its investment; it also obtained merger control clearance from the Korea Fair Trade Commission.
Ardea is currently working to produce definitive feasibility study for the Kalgoorlie project, and provided an update on its progress in its September 2024 quarterly report.
FAQs for nickel investing
What is nickel used for?
Nickel has a variety of applications. Its main use is as an alloy material for products such as stainless steel, and it is also used for plating metals to reduce corrosion. As its name suggests, nickel is used in coins as well, such as the 5 cent nickel in Australia, the US and Canada; Australian and US nickels are 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 demand is increasing from EVs, where the metal is a component of certain lithium-ion battery compositions; it has gotten extra attention thanks to that purpose.
Is nickel a good investment?
Nickel's role in EV batteries has seen it gain increased investor attention. In fact, its price spiked to an all-time high in 2022, and it remains at levels not seen in over a decade. For investors looking to invest in green metals, nickel could be a strong choice, but everyone should perform their own due diligence to decide whether it is the right portfolio fit.
How to invest in a nickel ETF?
Although there are no pure-play nickel ETFs, some ETF options to add the metal to your portfolio include the iShares S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index ETF (TSX:XBM) and the VanEck Green Metals ETF (ARCA:GMET).
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can be a good option for investors who prefer a safer approach to investing in a sector. ETFs can be purchased the same as any other stock, which means you can invest in them using stock brokers and investing apps.
Article by Melissa Pistilli; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2018.
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.
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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 for nickel companies, some 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 Benchmark. “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 Benchmark. “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 commenced an 8,000 meter summer 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 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-platinum group mine with major permits in place. The current deposit at Shakespeare hosts an NI 43-101 indicated open pit resource of 14.4 million MT. Crean Hill is a past producing nickel, copper and PGM mine.
In March, Magna announced the signing of a definitive off-take agreement with Vale Base Metals wholly-owned subsidiary Vale Canada for the advanced exploration portion of the Crean Hill project. 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 Mining'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 s a Canadian battery metals exploration and development company focuses on developing the Kenbridge nickel-copper-cobalt project located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada.
Tartisan acquired additional exploration claims for the Kenbridge project in mid-May. In November, the company closed C$1.5 million in flow-through financing with proceeds primarily going to fund the exploration and development of the project.
Shares in 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, its value had 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 so far 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 a 2024 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.
FAQs for nickel investing
How to invest in nickel?
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.
What is nickel used for?
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.
Where is nickel mined?
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 metric tons compared to the Philippines' 400,000 metric tons and New Caledonia's 230,000 metric tons.
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 Company is a client of the Investing News Network. This article is not paid-for content.
Accelerated Non-Renounceable Entitlement Offer Results
Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX: BSX) (“Blackstone” or the “Company”) advises that the Company has completed its Accelerated Non-Renounceable Entitlement Offer as per the terms of the Prospectus dated 4 November 2024 (“Entitlement Offer”). As announced on 6 November 2024, the institutional component of the Entitlement Offer was completed raising approximately $550k from Nanjia Capital Limited and its controlled entities.
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.
FPX Nickel
Investor Insight
As FPX Nickel strengthens its position in the critical metals space, investors seeking exposure to the green energy transition may find FPX Nickel an intriguing prospect, given its potential to become a low-cost, environmentally responsible nickel producer in a stable jurisdiction.
Overview
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 tonnes of nickel 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 in central British Columbia, such as Artemis Gold’s C$1.8 billion Blackwater Gold open-pit project.
The Baptiste project presents FPX Nickel with the potential to produce 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.
Metallurgical testing conducted by FPX Nickel for the production of high-grade (> 65 percent nickel) awaruite concentrate has included three campaigns with successful pilot-scale test work. 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 for the production of nickel sulphate from concentrate. 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 partially-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.
Company Highlights
- FPX Nickel is a Canadian resource company focused on exploring and developing its wholly owned advanced-development-stage Baptiste nickel project in the Decar Nickel District, central British Columbia.
- The company favorably leverages low-cost operation and mining best practices. It is advancing one of the few major nickel deposits in the mining-friendly jurisdiction of British Columbia.
- The Baptiste property hosts high-tenor nickel mineralization with low impurities and little to no sulfides. The high-value nickel product has potential applications for direct feed to the stainless steel or the electric vehicle battery market, with high projected recoveries and low estimated operating cost.
- FPX Nickel operates a tight share structure consisting largely of management (which holds 14 percent of the company’s shares) and three large corporate strategic investors (which collectively hold 30 percent of the company).
- Baptiste offers a tremendous opportunity for lowering the carbon footprint of nickel.
- Preliminary feasibility study for Baptiste indicated an after-tax NPV of $2.01 billion and IRR of 18.6 percent at $ 8.75-pound nickel for a 29-year mine life producing an average of 59,100 tonnes per year of nickel.
- In early 2024, FPX Nickel closed a C$14.4 million in private placement financing from Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada (SMCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining (TSE:5713)
- The company has commenced the development of a standalone nickel sulphate refinery study which will be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Key Project
Decar Nickel District - Baptiste Project
The Decar Nickel District covers over 410 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 is one of the world’s largest development-stage nickel projects. The asset is accessible via logging and paved roads, with railway and hydropower nearby.
Baptiste hosts nickel-iron alloy mineralization, with NI 43-101 compliant 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, located 6 km north of Baptiste 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).
In line with the project’s robust economics, FPX Nickel has commenced the development of a standalone nickel sulphate refinery study which will be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
In 2023, 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.
In 2024, FPX Nickel completed pilot-scale hydrometallurgy refinery testwork and produced battery-grade nickel sulphate. This milestone marks the completion of the campaign funded in part by a grant from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) under the Government of Canada's Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program.
Management Team
Martin Turenne - President, CEO and Director
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.
Andrew Osterloh - Vice-president, Projects
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 Paz - Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary
Felicia de la Paz 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 M. D. Bradshaw - Chairman
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.
Nigel Fisher - Director, Environment
Nigel Fisher brings 20 years' experience leading environmental assessments, permitting and management systems, developing and executing on regulatory strategy and advancing governance and funding agreements with Indigenous governments across British Columbia. He has held progressively senior roles with New Gold, Teck Resources, Woodfibre LNG, and most recently, Skeena Resources as director of environment and regulatory affairs. In his prior roles, he successfully obtained multiple regulatory approvals for large-scale resource projects while maintaining compliance with existing and changing legislation.
Jarett Lalonde - Director, Government and Public Affairs
Jarett Lalonde is a highly regarded public affairs leader with over 20 years' experience in the natural resources, technology and regulated products sectors. In his most recent role as global head of product policy at Shopify, Lalonde was instrumental in crafting compelling public affairs narratives for the company's diverse product offerings, and spearheading engagement with policy makers across North America and Europe. Before joining Shopify, he worked with Global Public Affairs, a leading government relations and strategic communications firm, where he performed advisory work for numerous companies advancing large-scale natural resource projects in British Columbia and across Canada. Lalonde previously served as chief of staff to the Attorney General & Minister of Justice for the province of British Columbia, and as policy advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada.
Rob Pease - Director
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 H. Myckatyn - Director
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., where he led the restructuring and merger with Pacific Rim Mining. He was the former president and CEO of Princeton Mining and Gibraltar Mines. For over 17 years, he worked for various operations controlled by Placer Dome 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 - Director
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 S. Gilbert, - Director
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 - Director
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 - Director
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 - Engineering Manager
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 - SVP, Sustainability and External Relations
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 - Vice-president, Generative Exploration
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.
Nickel Price Update: Q3 2024 in Review
Nickel saw solid price momentum in the first half of the year, benefiting from investor sentiment and speculation across commodity markets that saw surge in prices for both precious and base metals.
However, price highs were short-lived as nickel supply and demand fundamentals provided pressures that saw steep declines.
Among the influences has been a supply of laterite nickel flooding the market out of Indonesia, which is a contributing factor to mine curtailments in New Caledonia, Australia, and Europe. Meanwhile, high demand for battery production in China has yet to reach levels to make up for the oversupply in the market.
How did the nickel price perform in Q3?
The third quarter opened with the price of nickel facing a downward trend that started after it reached a yearly high of US$21,615 per metric ton on May 20. The price on July 1 had fallen to US$17,357. The following week saw a pause in the downward trend and was briefly lifted to US$17,473 before resuming its downward trajectory to US$15,769 on July 25.
Nickel price, July 1 to October 1, 2024.
Chart via Trading Economics.
After bottoming out, the price quickly climbed to US$16,604 on July 31.
Nickel remained largely rangebound between US$16,150 and US$16,500 for the start of August, but saw upward momentum in the middle of the month that pushed the price to US$17,136 on August 27.
The beginning of September saw the price collapse again, reaching a quarterly low of US$15,741 on September 10 and just shy of the year-to-date low of US$15,668 set on February 9. However, pricing pressure wasn’t to last and the price of nickel saw rapid gains through to the end of September reaching a quarterly high of US$17,698 on October 1.
Supply
The big story for the last several quarters has been an oversupply of nickel from Asian markets, particularly Indonesia and Q3 2024 was no different.
According to data from S&P Global, mined nickel production from the country increased by 99,000 metric tons during the quarter and is forecast to be in the 2.4 million metric ton range by the end of 2024, representing 57 percent of total global production.
However, due to Indonesia’s permitting and quota system, sourcing consistent supply from the country has presented challenges for Chinese smelters who were forced to temporarily curtail output due to a shortage in feeder supply.
Despite having a large percentage of global supply, refiners in Indonesia have increasingly been turning to nickel imports from the Philippines, the number two nickel supplier, to maintain operations. The first seven months saw imports rise to 3.37 million metric tons versus just 374,454 tons produced in 2023.
Although China remains the biggest benefactor and investor of Indonesia’s nickel industry, Indonesia has been working to distance it economically from its partner as it tries to work out deals with Western partners.
While Indonesia has been working to distance itself from Chinese investment over the past few years to better position its nickel market for Western markets and inclusion under the US Inflation Reduction Act, a new trade pact looks to solidify ties with China.
Multiple cooperation deals were signed following a November 9 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, which would see China investing more than US$10 billion into strategic sectors including nickel.
Among the investments is $1.42 billion agreement between Chinese battery material producer GEM (SZSE:002340) and Indonesian miner PT Vale (OTC Pink:PTNDF,IDX:INCO) for the construction of a high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) plant. The new processing facility is necessary for the production of battery-grade nickel.
Additionally, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt (SHA:603799) is working to raise US$2.7 billion in financing for a nickel refining and smelting project in partnership with Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) and PT Vale. The project will also use HPAL processing and is expected to produce 120,000 metric tons of mixed hydroxide precipitate for use in electric vehicle batteries.
China demand lagging
Even though demand for batteries continues to grow, it hasn’t been able to outpace the oversupply situation, this has largely been due to a weak Chinese economy.
China is the largest consumer of nickel in the world, with a majority of the metal destined to be used in the production of stainless steel, but a beleaguered real estate sector and broad economic deflation have dampened demand.
Nickel found pricing support in September as the Chinese government introduced a raft of stimulus measures that were intended to boost economic growth in the country. Among the measures included a 0.5 percent interest rate cut to existing mortgages and reduce the downpayment to purchase a home to 15 percent from 25 percent.
Although the package was responsible for a surge in nickel prices, in the weeks following the announcement nickel prices retreated, once again approaching yearly lows.
In another attempt to jump-start the economy, China introduced a US$1.4 trillion dollar debt swap on November 11 aimed at tackling “hidden debt” and freeing up funds at the local level by reducing interest payments on debt and helping drive growth.
Additionally, the Chinese government is planning to cut the deed tax for homebuyers to 1 percent from the current 3 percent in a further attempt to prop up the country’s economy.
Western governments may not be working hard enough for critical supply
In Canada, the government pledged C$46 billion for the development of four EV battery production plants that will require more raw materials than the Canadian mining sector can currently supply.
At his address to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade on September 17, Mining Association of Canada President Pierre Gratton suggested Canada is too focused on downstream development and that in order to meet supply the four EV plants will need the support of 15 new mines.
“That’s only speaking from the standpoint of the four battery factories, to say nothing about all of the other needs that our economy requires, or that the US requires, including its defence industries. Unless we achieve the above, and this is the irony, our reliance on foreign sources for minerals and metals is only going to increase,” he said.
Overall, Gratton believes that there needs to be an additional C$32 billion in financing for mining and midstream processing projects.
In Europe, the implementation of its new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) that places a tariff on carbon-intensive products is drawing concern from the industry. The regulation is a complex system designed to balance prices and prevent an exodus of carbon-intensive manufacturing to nations with fewer emission controls.
Some are suggesting CBAM has no benefit for the European stainless-steel industry as it limits pricing to scope 1 emissions and doesn’t include downstream emissions from power generation and transpiration.
European steelmakers have become more dependent on nickel pig iron imports from Indonesia, so far 87,485 metric tons through the first eight months of 2024 versus just 1,006 metric tons in 2023. The increase has come alongside a wave of curtailments as the industry reacts to a flood of Indonesian nickel.
What will happen to the nickel price in 2024?
Investors should consider China’s outsized influence over the nickel market, both in terms of control over refined supply and demand from real estate and battery sectors.
Even though the EV sector in China has shown year-over-year growth of 32 percent through the first nine months of 2024, the industry's nickel demand hasn’t made up for shortcomings in the broader economy.
Surplus scenarios are expected to continue over the next few years with a 5.8 percent compound annual growth rate between 2023 and 2028. This will present a challenge for producers who are looking to restart operations in the short term as prices are expected to remain flat.
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.
Blackstone Completes Institutional Component of Entitlement Offer
Blackstone Minerals Limited (“Blackstone” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has completed the institutional component (“Institutional Entitlement Offer” or “Institutional Offer”) of its partially underwritten accelerated non-renounceable pro rata entitlement offer as announced on 4 November 2024 (“Entitlement Offer” or “Offer”).
HIGHLIGHTS
- Completion of the Institutional Entitlement Offer with firm commitments received from Nanjia Capital Limited of approximately $550k.
- Commencement of retail component of the Entitlement Offer on Monday 11 November 2024.
- Retail offer partially underwritten by supportive long term shareholder, Nanjia Capital with $1.65 million firm commitment and underwriting which includes an approximate $1.1m retail offer underwriting component.
- Proceeds to support the Wabowden Project opportunity, the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”) for Blackstone’s Ta Khoa Refinery and progress Blackstone’s strategic partnership process.
- Opportunity for our existing shareholders to participate in the capital raising on the same terms as the institutional shareholders.
The Entitlement Offer is supported by major shareholder Nanjia Capital Limited and controlled entities with a firm commitment to subscribe for entitlements under the Institutional Entitlement Offer up to approximately $550k and an agreement to underwrite the Retail Entitlement Offer up to approximately $1.1m (i.e. for a total investment of approximately A$1.65 million).
Institutional Entitlement Offer
The Institutional Entitlement Offer opened on Monday, 4 November 2024 and closed on Tuesday, 5 November 2024 raising approximately $550k at the offer price of $0.03.
Under the Entitlement Offer, eligible shareholders are 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’s shares will recommence trading today on the ASX on an ex-entitlement basis.
All New Shares issued under the Entitlement Offer will rank equally with the existing Shares on issue. The Company will apply for quotation of the New Shares issued under the Entitlement Offer.
Retail Entitlement Offer
Retail shareholders with a registered address in Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada (British Columbia), Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Thailand, Vietnam or the United Kingdom at 4.00pm (AWST) on Wednesday, 6 November 2024 (“Record Date”) (“Eligible Retail Shareholders”) will be invited to participate in the Retail Entitlement Offer on the same terms as the Institutional Entitlement Offer.
The Retail Entitlement Offer is expected to open at 9.00am (AWST) on Monday, 11 November 2024 and close at 5.00pm (AWST) on Friday, 29 November 2024 (unless extended).
Eligible Retail Shareholders can choose to take up all, or part or none of their Entitlement under the Retail Entitlement Offer.
The Retail Entitlement Offer will be made under the transaction specific prospectus lodged with ASIC and the ASX on Monday, 4 November 2024 (“Prospectus”). The Prospectus will be dispatched to Eligible Retail Shareholders, together with a personalised entitlement and acceptance form on or around Monday, 11 November 2024.
Eligible Retail Shareholders may also apply for New Shares in addition to their Entitlement at the Offer Price, to the extent there is any shortfall under the Retail Entitlement Offer and will be offered on the same terms and conditions as the Retail Entitlement Offer.
Details of Underwriting Agreement
The Retail Entitlement Offer is partially underwritten by Nanjia Capital Limited (an entity incorporated in Hong Kong) (”Nanjia Capital” or “Underwriter”).
The Underwriter is a substantial shareholder of the Company, which had a relevant interest in 76,856,464 Shares as at the date of the Prospectus. The Underwriter has agreed to underwrite the Retail Entitlement Offer up to approximately $1,100,000.
The obligation of the Underwriter to underwrite the Retail Entitlement Offer is subject to certain events of termination. Refer to Section 7.4(b) of the Prospectus for details regarding the key terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
For further information regarding the application and allocation of Shortfall Shares please refer to Section 3.14 of the Prospectus.
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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