Xander Resources Inc. (“Xander” or the “Company”) (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI) is pleased to announce the drill results from its maiden drill program at its Timmins Nickel Project (the “ Property ”) located in Timmins, Ontario.
Drilling identifies a potential mineralized 161 metre zone with nickel values up to 0.19 % Ni in Drill Hole NKV23-05 within 202 metres of ultramafic located within the Company’s claim block adjacent to Canada Nickel Company’s Macdiarmid Discovery
Highlights:
The drill results are headlined by a potential 161-metre mineralized zone with 30 metres grading 0.14% Ni and multiple intervals of 0.18% over 3 metres in drill hole NKV23-05 from 177 to 204 metres within a 202-metre ultramafic unit beginning at 50.4 metres, and a potential 43.5 metre mineralized zone with intervals of 0.14% over 3 metres, 0.21% over 2.7 metres, and 0.19% over 4.5 metres in NKV23-04 within an at least 77-metre ultramafic (gabbro/peridotite) beginning at 178 metres. Mineralization in both holes appears to extend over the entire interval and is open at depth. Further sampling will be completed confirm the mineralized length within each drill hole.
Both drill holes were located within drill targets at the Company’s “South Block” of claims that are located adjacent to Canada Nickel Company’s (CNC) Macdiarmid Discovery (as shown in Figure 1 below) where in May 2021, Canada Nickel announced a secondary discovery in a geophysical target approximately 1.8 kilometres long indicating a structural footprint averaging 400 metres in width – 15% larger than Canada Nickel’s original Crawford’s Main Zone discovery i . The footprint of the conductor tested by NKV23-05 is approximately 400 metres by 300 metres, making Xander’s discovery comparable both in grade and size.
Deepak Varshney, CEO of Xander said, "We are very pleased to have made a discovery as part of our maiden drill program, with two of our first three drill holes at the South Block having returned significant intersections that are comparable to those of CNC’s adjacent Macdiarmid Discovery. Given our prime location and CNC’s aggressive pursuit in acquiring land within this district, particularly adjacent to its existing discoveries including Macdiarmid where their claims now surround ours, expanding upon these results will be a primary focus for the Company moving forward as we develop our Timmins nickel portfolio.
Mr. Varshney continued: “ We are also very pleased with the information learned from the drilling conducted in our North Block as part of this first-pass program. The geological data has provided the Company with a better understanding of the geology across our extensive land package as many of our targets remain undrilled. With the invaluable information obtained from this program, our follow-up drill program will be comprehensive with a focus on expanding our discovery in the South Block and in targeting untested targets in the North. Completing this program was an important milestone for our company as we endeavour to take part in the journey to secure a domestic supply of North American nickel. The Timmins camp is gaining momentum with various other promising assets and companies in this region, and we look forward to continuing our journey and being a part of this story."
Figure 1 - Location of Xander's Claims in the Timmins Camp.
Drilling Summary
In total, 3,730 metres were drilled across the two phases of the maiden drill program. The program was designed to test targets with potential for significant nickel mineralization comparable to Canada Nickel Company’s Crawford, MacDiarmid, and Reid Discoveries, located in Timmins, Ontario. Eight drill holes, NKV22-01 to 06 and NKV23‑01 to 03, were advanced within the “North Block” of claims, located adjacent to CNC’s Reid Discovery and to the west on trend with CNC’s Crawford Discovery. Three, drill holes NKV23-04 to 06, were advanced within the “South Block” of claims, located adjacent to CNC’s Macdiarmid Discovery. Figure 2 outlines the locations of the drill holes.
Both NKV23-04 and NKV23-05 terminated in ultramafics indicating they are open at depth. Based on the drilling observed, the Company believes that the ultramafic unit present in NKV23-04 extends on to CNC’s recently purchased claims to the south based on the proximity of the drill hole to the claim boundary.
Based on the findings of its maiden program, the Company intends on completing a follow-up program that builds on its success at NKV23-04 and NKV23-05 while utilizing the information obtained from the other drill holes to also explore the numerous untested targets present across its approximately 72 km 2 of claims, particularly those on its most recent acquisition, the “West Claim” block, where it has already outlined 6 targets immediately ready for drill-testing.
Composite weighted assays are included in the table below.
*Note 1 – The intervals presented were the only samples/assays taken between 187.5 – 252 metres, additional assays are required to determine the width and grade of the entire mineralized zone.
** Note 2 – The intervals presented were the only samples/assays taken in the entire hole, additional assays are required to determine the width and grade of the entire mineralized zone.
The field program was run by Andrew Tims, and the drill core from was split with half sent to AGAT in Timmins, Ontario for the drill holes completed in 2022. The 2023 drill core samples were delivered to Activation Labs in Timmins, Ontario. Samples were analyzed via sodium peroxide fusion with ICP OES + ICP MS finishes plus fire assay with an ICP MS finish for precious metals. Duplicates, standards and blanks were inserted into the sample stream.
Drill Hole Coordinates:
Figure 1 - Location of drill holes comprising Xander’s maiden drill program.
The Timmins Nickel Project
The Timmins Nickel Project consists of two (2) separate mineral claim blocks and is located within the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada, a highly prolific mining complex with over 100 hundred years of history and well supported by major infrastructure including highways, rail, and relatively inexpensive hydroelectric power.
The “North Block” consists of 336 claims located approximately 21 kilometres west of Canada Nickel Company’s (CNC’s) Crawford Project where CNC has completed a preliminary economic assessment only 20 months after the commencement of exploration drilling that indicates 25-year mine with an after-tax NPV 8% of $1.2 billion ii . It is also situated southwest of Kingsmill, Mahaffy-Aubin, and Nesbitt North, properties acquired from Noble Mineral Exploration by Canada Nickel through option agreements earlier in 2021 iii and adjacent to CNC’s recently identified Reid Discovery which has already through early exploration delineated a mineralized footprint 90% as large as Crawford.
The “South Block” consists of 50 claims contiguous to Canada Nickel’s MacDiarmid Project where in May 2021, Canada Nickel announced a secondary discovery through the identification of significant intersections of mineralized dunite similar to the average mineralization initially discovered at Crawford. Geophysical surveys reveal that the MacDiarmid target to be approximately 1.8 kilometres long indicating a structural footprint averaging 400 metres in width – 15% larger than Canada Nickel’s original Crawford’s Main Zone discovery iv . Xander’s maiden drill program has identified its own discovery with grades and mineralization comparable to those identified by CNC at Macdiarmid.
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew Tims, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“ NI 43-101 ”).
About Xander Resources Inc.
Xander Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral acquisition and exploration company based in Vancouver, BC, Canada focused on developing accretive gold and battery metal properties within Canada. The company currently has a focus on projects located within the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Xander is exploring for commercially exploitable mineral deposits and is currently focused on deposits located in Val-d’Or, Quebec, including the Senneville Claim Group which comprises over 100 sq. km and is contiguous in the south to Probe Metals’ new discovery, and contiguous in the north to Monarch Mining, in close proximity to Eldorado Gold’s (formerly QMX Gold) projects, and east of the North American Lithium Deposit, Great Thunder Gold‘s Chubb Lithium property and East of the Sayona Quebec's Authier Lithium Deposit, all in the Val-d’Or Mining Camp, plus its newly acquired nickel-sulphide project in Timmins, Ontario near Canada Nickel’s MacDiarmid and Crawford Projects.
We seek Safe Harbor
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Deepak Varshney, P.Geo., President and CEO
For more information, please email ir@xanderresources.ca , or visit www.xanderresources.ca .
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements:
This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry.
The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
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Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire - June 19, 2023 Xander Resources Inc. ("Xander" or the "Company") (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI) is pleased to announce the results of its annual general and special meeting (the " Meeting ") held on June 16, 2023. All resolutions presented to the shareholders were approved, as a result:
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Xander Resources Inc. ("Xander" or the "Company") (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Deepak Varshney, the Company's current President and CEO, as Corporate Secretary of the Company, and Khalid Naeem as CFO of the Company, effective May 1, 2023
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Xander Resources Inc. ("Xander" or the "Company") (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI) is pleased to announce that the Company has completed two shares for debt settlements that were previously announced on March 16, 2023 (the " Shares for Debt Settlements "), after being granted approval by the TSX Venture Exchange (" TSXV "). The outstanding debt was owed to consultants of the Company as part of their severance packages
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Vancouver, British Columbia TheNewswire - March 20, 2023 Xander Resources Inc. ("Xander" or the "Company") (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI) is pleased to announce that it has completed the second phase of its fully financed drill program at its Timmins Nickel Project (the " Property ") located in Timmins, Ontario.
The drill program comprised 1,559 metres across six (6) drill holes and continued Xander's strategy of targeting geophysical anomalies on its claims that are on trend and/or adjacent to properties where Canada Nickel Company (CNC) has identified significant nickel mineralization.
Three (3) holes, NKV23-1, NKV23-2, and NKV23-3, targeted the northern part of the Company's "North Block" on claims along trend with CNC's Mahaffy and Nesbitt properties. Both properties have been drilled by CNC, with the first two drill holes at Nesbitt returning significant intersections of mineralization with intervals of visible disseminated sulphides consistent with the Higher Grade Zone at CNC's Crawford Project where a preliminary economic assessment indicates a 25-year mine with an after-tax NPV (net present value) with 8-per-cent discount rate of $1.2-billion ( https://bit.ly/3YMsYFi , https://bit.ly/3E3b3CB ).
Three (3) holes, NKV23-4, NKV23-5, and NKV23-6, were drilled in the Company's "South Block" of claims that are adjacent to CNC's MacDiarmid Project where CNC announced its second major discovery in the Timmins Camp with a target that is approximately 15% larger than Canada Nickel's original Crawford's Main Zone discovery ( https://bit.ly/3RVjMfI ).
Ultramafics comprising komatiitic flows, gabbro and/or peridotite were intersected in five (5) of the six (6) drill holes. Notable intercepts include:
Drill Hole | Rock Type | Interval Length (metres | Interval Range (metres) |
NKV23-02 | Komatiite | 42.1 | 189.1 – 231.5 |
Komatiite | 18.8 | 240.0 – 258.8 | |
NKV23-03 | Komatiite | 87.0 | 186.0 – 273.0 |
NKV23-04 | Komatiite | 54.5 | 54.0 – 108.5 |
Komatiite | 38.4 | 111.5 – 149.9 | |
Peridotite/Gabbro | 76.8 | 178.2 – 255.0 | |
NKV23-05 | Peridotite/Gabbro | 201.6 | 50.4 – 252.0 |
NKV23-06 | Komatiite | 22.0 | 214.7 – 236.7 |
Peridotite | 22.8 | 236.7 – 259.5 |
The assay results from the second phase drill program will be released following their receipt, compilation and interpretation.
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 1 - Location of drill holes comprising the second phase of Xander's maiden drill program.
The Timmins Nickel Project
The Timmins Nickel Project consists of two (2) separate mineral claim blocks (as shown in Figure 2 below) and is located within the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada, a highly prolific mining complex with over 100 hundred years of history and well supported by major infrastructure including highways, rail, and relatively inexpensive hydroelectric power.
The "North Block" consists of 336 claims located approximately 21 kilometres west of Canada Nickel Company's (CNC's) Crawford Project where CNC has completed a preliminary economic assessment only 20 months after the commencement of exploration drilling that indicates 25-year mine with an after-tax NPV 8% of $1.2 billion i . It is also situated southwest of Kingsmill, Mahaffy-Aubin, and Nesbitt North, properties acquired from Noble Mineral Exploration by Canada Nickel through option agreements earlier in 2021 ii and adjacent to CNC's recently identified Reid Discovery which has already through early exploration delineated a mineralized footprint 90% as large as Crawford.
The "South Block" consists of 50 claims contiguous to Canada Nickel's MacDiarmid Project where in May 2021, Canada Nickel announced a secondary discovery through the identification of significant intersections of mineralized dunite similar to the average mineralization initially discovered at Crawford. Geophysical surveys reveal that the MacDiarmid target to be approximately 1.8 kilometres long indicating a structural footprint averaging 400 meters in width – 15% larger than Canada Nickel's original Crawford's Main Zone discovery iii .
Click Image To View Full Size
Figure 2 - Location of Xander's Claims in the Timmins Camp
Qualified Person
The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew Tims, P.Geo., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 ").
About Xander Resources Inc.
Xander Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral acquisition and exploration company based in Vancouver, BC, Canada focused on developing accretive gold and battery metal properties within Canada. The company currently has a focus on projects located within the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Xander is exploring for commercially exploitable mineral deposits and is currently focused on deposits located in Val-d'Or, Quebec, including the Senneville Claim Group which comprises over 100 sq. km and is contiguous in the south to Probe Metals' new discovery, and contiguous in the north to Monarch Mining, in close proximity to Eldorado Gold's (formerly QMX Gold) projects, and east of the North American Lithium Deposit, Great Thunder Gold‘s Chubb Lithium property and East of the Sayona Quebec's Authier Lithium Deposit, all in the Val-d'Or Mining Camp, plus its newly acquired nickel-sulphide project in Timmins, Ontario near Canada Nickel's MacDiarmid and Crawford Projects.
We seek Safe Harbor
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Deepak Varshney, P.Geo., President and CEO
For more information, please email ir@xanderresources.ca , or visit www.xanderresources.ca .
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements:
This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry.
The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
i Preliminary Economic Assessment, titled "Crawford Nickel-Sulphide Project National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment", Effective Date of May 21, 2021
ii https://canadanickel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20210422-Canada-Nickel-Acquires-Option-Properties-final.pdf
iii https://canadanickel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2021-10-26-East-Zone-High-Grade-vFinal2.pdf
Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
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Xander Resources Inc. ("Xander" or the "Company") (TSXV:XND) (OTC:XNDRF) (FSX:1XI), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of drill-ready battery and precious metal projects, is pleased to announce that it has entered into agreements to settle $77,357 of indebtedness by the issuance of 2,210,198 common shares of the Company at $0.035 per share. The outstanding debt was owed to two former officers andor directors of the Company as part of their severance packages. The settlements are subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. All shares to be issued pursuant to the settlements will be subject to the applicable statutory, exchange and regulatory hold period of four months and any other required resale restrictions. The shares to be issued have not and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Martin Turenne is a senior executive with over 15 years of experience in the commodities industry, including over five years in the mining industry. He has extensive leadership experience in strategic management, fundraising, economic analysis, financial reporting, regulatory compliance and corporate tax. Turenne formerly served as CFO of First Point Minerals Corp. from 2012 to 2015 and in positions at KPMG LLP and Methanex Corporation. He is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
With more than 20 years in the industry, Andrew Osterloh is experienced in process engineering, plant metallurgy and project management. He was formerly the project director and head of studies for Fluor Canada, leading feasibility study work for large base metal assets. He was formerly project director and manager of studies for Fluor Canada, where he led feasibility studies for several large base metal assets in the Americas for Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, Teck and Newmont. Osterloh is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in mineral process engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Felicia de la 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 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 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 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 is a geologist with more than 30 years of experience in exploration, mine development and construction. He is the former CEO of Terrane Metals, acquired by Thompson Creek for C$650 million. Pease was also the former director of Richfield Ventures, acquired by New Gold for C$500 million. He is a director of Pure Gold Mining Inc. and Liberty Gold.
William Myckatyn is a mining engineer with more than 34 years of experience in the mining industry. Myckatyn is the founder and CEO of Quadra Mining Ltd. He served as chairman and subsequently co-chairman of Quadra FNX Mining until its takeover in 2012. Prior to this, Myckatyn was chairman, president and CEO of Dayton Mining., 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 is a mining engineer with 30 years of experience in mine development and construction. Marshall was formerly VP of project development at New Gold and SVP project development at Terrane Metals. He has extensive mine development experience in central British Columbia, including completing the Blackwater gold project feasibility study and development, and early construction of Mt. Milligan copper-gold mine, acquired by Thompson Creek for C$650 million in 2010.
James Gilbert has more than 30 years of investment and transaction execution experience, with more than 20 years focused on the international mining and metals industry. Gilbert held senior management positions with Rothschild, Gerald Metals Inc. and Minera S.A., a private mining investment company. His experience covers mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, off-take and specialty refining agreements, joint venture negotiations and strategic marketing. He was formerly director of AQM Copper Inc., acquired by Teck Resources in 2016.
Anne Currie is a recognized leader in the permitting of major Canadian mining projects, with over 30 years of experience in the private and public sector, including as a former senior partner with leading global consultancy Environmental Resources Management. She was British Columbia's chief gold commissioner, the chief regulatory authority for the Mineral Tenure Act., and has an exceptional track record in steering the environmental assessment and permitting processes for major mining projects in British Columbia, including for the KSM, Brucejack, Kemess Underground and Blackwater projects.
Kim Baird is an accomplished leader and strategic advisor working with indigenous communities, governments, businesses and other organizations. In her prior role as the elected chief of the Tsawwassen First Nation, she negotiated and implemented British Columbia's first modern urban treaty, establishing for the Tsawwassen People ownership and governance over their land and resources.
Dan Apai has over twenty years of mining industry experience in civil engineering and engineering management over a diverse range of projects. In his previous role as a principal civil engineer for Fluor Canada, he led the study and detailed engineering works for numerous large-scale mining projects for clients including Teck, Newmont, BHP, First Quantum, Glencore, Josemaria Resources and Newcrest. Apai's technical expertise includes site layout, earthworks, water management, linear facilities (i.e., roads, powerlines, pipelines), and water supply systems – all elements that strongly influence the capital intensity, permitability, and operability of mining projects. Apai is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia.
Tim Bekhuys is a senior mining executive with over 40 years’ experience in community engagement, environmental assessment and permitting. He was formerly VP environment, health, safety and sustainability for SSR Mining, where he led all aspects of sustainability reporting, environmental assessment and permitting activities. He also previously acted as director of environment and sustainability for New Gold, where he successfully led the government, permitting, Indigenous and community relations programs for the Blackwater project in central B.C. Bekhuys was a former member of the boards of directors of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia, the Mining Association of British Columbia, and the Mining Association of Canada.
Keith Patterson is a senior geologist with over 25 years’ experience in greenfield exploration throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. He was formerly director of project generation and greenfield strategy with Eldorado Gold where he managed global exploration and project generation. Patterson acted as vice-president of exploration for Jinshan Gold Mines where he was responsible for the execution of exploration programs and project evaluations in China. He is a registered professional geoscientist with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia and holds a Master of Geological Sciences and a Bachelor of Geological Engineering, both from the University of British Columbia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.