SUDBURY,
ON, March 1, 2023 /CNW/ - SPC Nickel
Corp. (TSXV: SPC) ("SPC Nickel"), is pleased to
provide an update on its recently consolidated West Graham-Crean
Hill 3 Project (collectively, the "Project") and to announce the
commencement of the Phase 1 drill program.
On January 23, 2023, SPC Nickel
announced the signing of an Agreement with Vale Canada ("Vale")
granting SPC Nickel the right to earn 100% interest in the Crean
Hill 3 Property which is adjacent to SPC Nickel's West Graham
Property (see Figure 1 for property location and SPC Nickel's
January 23, 2023, press release for
full details of the Agreement).
Highlights
- As an advanced project, the combination of the West Graham and
Crean Hill 3 assets is a transformational opportunity for SPC
Nickel. The historical mineral resources on these properties form
one contiguous near-surface deposit and consist of the
following:
-
- The Crean Hill 3 Property hosts a historic mineral
estimate of 16.78Mt @ 0.43% Ni and 0.30% Cu (0.53% Nickel
Equivalent)1;
- The West Graham Property hosts a historic indicated mineral
resource of 8.55Mt @ 0.45% Ni, 0.31% Cu (0.55% Nickel
Equivalent) along with an inferred mineral resource of 2.0Mt
@ 0.38% Ni, 0.30% Cu (0.48% Nickel
Equivalent)2.
- Previous drilling indicates that the highest-grade
mineralization occurs along the property boundary between West
Graham and Crean Hill 3 and is interpreted to extend up-dip
(southwest) onto the Crean Hill 3 Property.
- The 5,000 metre Phase 1 drill program of a total 25,000 metre
resource definition drill program is schedule to began on
March 3rd, 2023.
- The contract for the global mineral resource estimation has
been awarded to SGS Geological Services.
SPC Nickel considers the West Graham and Crean Hill 3 resource
estimates to be historic mineral estimates for purposes of NI
43-101. Neither the Company nor a qualified person on behalf of SPC
Nickel have done sufficient work to classify the historical
estimates as current mineral resources and SPC Nickel is not
treating such historical estimates as current mineral resources.
SPC Nickel considers the historic mineral estimates to be relevant
to an understanding of the Project but has not done any work to
validate the estimates. Nickel Equivalent value (NiEq) % equals Ni%
+ Cu% x 0.32 + Co% x 0.53 and does not factor in Pt, Pd, Au or Ag
values. No allowances have been made for recovery losses that may
occur should mining eventually result. The NiEq% calculation used
in this release is consistent with the relative metal prices used
in the West Graham Resource report published by First Nickel Inc.
in 20092.
Grant Mourre, President and CEO
of SPC Nickel, commented: "We are very excited to embark on the
2023 Crean Hill 3 drill program, which will be our most ambitious
drilling campaign to date. The Phase 1 program will focus on an
area adjacent to the West Graham Deposit where historic drilling
returned assay values 30 to 80% higher than the average grade of
the resource. The program will then transition into Phase 2, where
the remainder of the property will be tested with wide spaced
drilling. We expect that this approach will allow SPC Nickel to
complete a mineral resource estimate for the combined property by
the end of 2023."
Commencement of Drilling:
SPC Nickel is pleased to announce the commencement of the first
phase of the 25,000 metre Crean Hill 3 Property drill program. This
5,000 metre Phase 1 program will represent the first drilling to be
completed on the Crean Hill 3 Property since 1960 and the first by
SPC Nickel since the signing of the Agreement with Vale. The goal
of the drill program is to test the continuity and grade of the
mineralized zone across the property allowing SPC Nickel to
complete a new updated mineral resource estimate across the
combined property (West Graham – Crean Hill 3) by the end of 2023.
The program will be completed in stages with Phase 1 drill program
starting this week and is expected to take between 2 and 3 months
to complete.
Phase 1 will comprise of 5,000 metres of drilling (at 50 metre
spacings) focused on an area along the property boundary where
previous drilling returned numerous high-grade intersections over
comparable width to the adjacent West Graham Deposit but with
grades between 30-80% higher than the reported grade of the
resource. See Figure 2.
Phase 2 will consist of 20,000 metres of drilling (at 100 metre
spacings) designed to test the extent and continuity of the
mineralized zone across the property. See Figure 2.
Resource Update:
SPC Nickel is pleased to announce that it has awarded the
contract to complete an initial Mineral Resource Estimate to SGS
Geological Services. The Mineral Resource Estimate will encompass
both the West Graham and Crean 3 properties and provide SPC Nickel
with an updated estimate of the full potential of the Project. The
study is anticipated in Q3 or Q4 2023, following the completion of
the 25,000 metre drill program.
Reference
- Van Wiechen, A.G (1990):
December 31, 1989 Mineral Resource
Inventory table in: The Exploration Potential for Sulphide
Mineralization in the Crean Hill – Ellen – Crean Hill No.3
Environment, Internal Inco Report, December
13, 1990.
- Routledge, Richard and Churchill, Bruce (2009): Technical Report on
the West Graham Property Conwest Zone Resource Estimate, Graham
Township, Ontario, Canada prepared
for First Nickel Inc., January 15,
2009. Scott Wilson Roscoe Postle Associates Inc.
- Historic Vale drill hole assay results were sourced from the
Vale drill hole database.
Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified
Persons
The technical elements of this news release have been approved
by Mr. Grant Mourre, P.Geo. (PGO),
CEO and President of SPC Nickel Corp. and a Qualified Person under
National Instrument 43-101.
The historical technical information presented in this release
was obtained from historical work reports produced by Vale Canada
Limited1,3 or by First Nickel Inc2 and has
not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by
NI 43-101.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services
Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
About SPC Nickel Corp.
SPC Nickel Corp. is a Canadian public corporation focused on
exploring for Ni-Cu-PGMs within the world class Sudbury Mining
Camp. SPC Nickel is currently exploring its key 100% owned
exploration project Lockerby East located in the heart of the
historic Sudbury Mining Camp that includes the Graham West Resource
and the Crean Hill 3 property under option from Vale. In addition
to the Lockerby East Project, SPC Nickel holds three additional
projects across Canada including
the past producing Aer-Kidd Project (located in the Sudbury Mining
Camp), the Janes Project (located 50 km northwest of Sudbury) and the large camp-scale Muskox
Project (located in Nunavut).
Although the corporate focus is on Sudbury, the Company continues to look for new
opportunities to add shareholder value. Additional information
regarding SPC Nickel and its projects can be found at
www.spcnickel.com
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information
Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the
information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such
forward-looking information may be identified by words such as
"plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes",
"may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding
estimated capital and operating costs, expected production
timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange
assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance
that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and
future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among
others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining
industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside
the control of SPC Nickel. Investors are cautioned not to put undue
reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise
required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, SPC
Nickel expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update
publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
Further information is available at www.spcnickel.com.
SOURCE SPC Nickel Corp.