Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Ltd. (CSE: NICO | OTCQB: NICLF)
("Class 1 Nickel" or the "Company") reports that, further to the
news release dated 22 May 2024, it has filed the National
Instrument 43-101 (“NI 43-101”) Technical Report in support of an
updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for its Alexo North
Nickel Sulphide Deposit (“A-N Deposit”) dated 5 July 2024 and with
an effective date of 21 May 2024. The NI 43-101 report is available
on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca) and on the Company’s website
(https://class1nickel.com/alexo-dundonald-project/).
The updated MRE for the Alexo North Nickel
Sulphide Deposit was announced 22 May 2024 and updates to the
remaining two nickel sulphide mineral resources contained within
the Project, Dundonald South and North, will be completed over the
coming months. The updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Alexo
South Nickel Sulphide Deposit was announced by Class 1 Nickel on 24
April 2024.
David Fitch, CEO of Class 1 Nickel, commented,
“In light of the updated NI 43-101 findings for Alexo North, we're
pleased to note a significant 63% increase in Indicated tonnes and
an 8% rise in nickel pounds, now totalling 42,600 tonnes at 0.92%
Ni. Notably, nearly all nickel pounds are now classified as
Indicated, underscoring our commitment to data-driven exploration
and development and building nickel resources. Our focus remains on
further enhancing resource quality through ongoing drilling efforts
across the Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Project, working toward economic
studies in the near future.”
Alexo North MRE Highlights:
- Indicated Resources (open pit and
underground*) of 42,600 t at 0.92% Ni (864k lbs Ni) – 63% increase
in Indicated tonnes and 8% increase in nickel pounds.
- Inferred
Resources (open pit and underground*) of 500 t at 0.32% Ni (3k lbs
Ni) – 100% increase in Inferred tonnes and 100% increase in nickel
pounds.
- 99.6% of the
nickel pounds and 99% of the tonnes in Alexo North Deposit Mineral
Resource Estimate are in the Indicated category with drilling
planned to update to Measured.
- With only 1% of
the Alexo North Deposit tonnes in the Inferred category there is
excellent exploration upside to expand and upgrade resources
through additional drilling.
- Alexo North
Deposit, one of the 4 deposits on the Alexo-Dundonald Property, is
open along strike, with the new geological model and interpretation
providing ample targets for next-stage drilling.
- Updated Mineral
Resource Estimate work continuing on the remaining 2 deposits
(Dundonald South and North) of the Alexo-Dundonald Nickel
Project.
*C$52.5/t NSR open pit and C$96.0/t NSR
underground cut-offs applied in current 2024 mineral resource
estimate whereas C$30.0/t NSR open pit and C$90.0/t NSR underground
cut-offs were applied in the 2020 mineral resource estimate of
P&E Mining Consultants Inc.
Table 1. Mineral Resource
Statement for the 2024 Alexo North Indicated and Inferred Resource
Estimate.
Alexo NorthResource Category |
Tonnage (t) |
Grade |
Contained Metal |
Ni (%) |
Cu (%) |
Co (%) |
NiEq (%) |
NSR (C$/t) |
Ni (klbs) |
Cu (klbs) |
Co (klbs) |
Open Pit ($52.5/t NSR COG) |
Indicated |
35,100 |
0.98 |
0.11 |
0.04 |
1.08 |
205.87 |
759 |
83 |
83 |
Inferred |
500 |
0.32 |
0.04 |
0.02 |
0.36 |
68.04 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Underground (C$96.0/t NSR COG) |
Indicated |
7,500 |
0.63 |
0.08 |
0.03 |
0.70 |
133.71 |
105 |
12 |
5 |
|
Total Open Pit and Underground Resources |
Indicated |
7,500 |
0.63 |
0.08 |
0.03 |
0.70 |
133.71 |
105 |
12 |
5 |
Inferred |
500 |
0.32 |
0.04 |
0.02 |
0.36 |
68.04 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
Notes to Table 1:1) The independent Qualified
Person for the MRE, as defined by NI 43-101, is Mr. Simon Mortimer
(FAIG #4083) of Atticus Geoscience Consulting S.A.C., working with
Caracle Creek Chile SpA. The effective date of the MRE is 21 May
2024.2) Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have
demonstrated economic viability. 3) The estimate of Mineral
Resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting,
legal, title, taxation, socio- political, marketing, or other
relevant issues.4) 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. 5) The Mineral Resources were estimated
following the 2019 CIM Estimation of Mineral Resources &
Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines prepared by the CIM
Mineral Resource & Mineral Reserve Committee and the 2014 CIM
Definition Standards for Mineral Resources & Mineral Reserves
prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions.6)
Geological and block models for the MRE used core assays (559
samples from 2021 drilling) and data and information from 181
surface diamond drill holes (29 from Class 1 Nickel and 152
historical). The drill hole database was validated prior to
resource estimation and QA/QC checks were made using
industry-standard control charts for blanks, core duplicates and
commercial certified reference material inserted into assay batches
by Class 1 Nickel. 7) The block model was prepared using Micromine
2020. A 6 m x 6 m x 6 m block model was created, with sub blocks to
0.5 m x 0.5 m x 0.5 m. Drill composites of 1.0 m intervals were
generated within the estimation domains, and subsequent grade
estimation was carried out for Ni, Cu and Co using Ordinary Kriging
interpolation method.8) Grade estimation was validated by
comparison of input and output statistics (Nearest Neighbour and
Inverse Interpolation methods), swath plot analysis, and by visual
inspection of the assay data, block model, and grade shells in
cross-sections. 9) As a reference, the average estimated density
value (specific gravity) within the mineralised domain is 2.91
g/cm3 (t/m3).10) Estimates have been rounded to 3 significant
figures for Indicated resources and 2 significant figures for
Inferred resources.11) The historical open pit mined areas were
removed from the MRE and the MRE considers a geological dilution of
5% and a mining recovery of 95%. 12) US$ metal prices of $8.00/lb
Ni, $3.25/lb Cu, $13.00/lb Co were used in the NSR calculation with
respective process recoveries of 85%, 70%, and 80%; gold, platinum
and palladium are not considered in the current NSR calculation.13)
Pit constrained Mineral Resource NSR cut-off considers processing,
and G&A costs, applying a factor of 5% for mining dilution,
that respectively combine for a total of (($45.00 + $5.00) * (1 +
5%)) = C$52.5/tonne processed. 14) Out-of-pit Mineral Resource
(underground) NSR cut-off considers ore mining, processing, and
G&A costs that respectively combine for a total of ($46.00 +
$45.00 + $5.00) = C$96.0/tonne processed.15) The out-of-pit Mineral
Resource grade blocks were quantified above the $96.0/t cut-off,
below the constraining pit shell and within the constraining
mineralized wireframes. Additionally, only groups of blocks that
exhibited continuity and reasonable potential stope geometry were
included. All orphaned blocks and narrow strings of blocks were
excluded. The long-hole stoping with backfill mining method was
assumed for the out-of-pit (underground) MRE calculation. 16) The
NSR calculation is as follows: NSR C$/t = ((Ni% x 199.89) + (Cu% x
66.87) +(Co% x 305.71)) x 95%.17) The NiEq% calculation is as
follows: NiEq% = (Ni% x 1) + (Cu% x 0.33) + (Co% x 1.53).
Class 1 Nickel completed its Phase 1 diamond
drilling program on the Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Project (“A-D
Project”) in 2021, with 6,454 metres in 33 holes (742 drill core
samples) completed at Alexo North. The updated MRE combines the new
drill hole data with historical drilling (3,942.20 metres in 29
holes) completed on the A-N Deposit by previous operators,
including the most recent drilling by Canadian Arrow Mines
(2,581.40 metres in 27 drill holes in 2004).
Figure 1. Location of the
Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Sulphide Project in the Timmins Mining Camp,
Ontario and the location of the 4 nickel sulphide deposits outlined
to date.
The updated MRE was completed by Caracle Creek
Chile SpA (“Caracle”) and their strategic partner Atticus
Geoscience Consulting Ltd. (“Atticus”) (together the “Consultants”)
and this resource replaces the 2020 mineral resource estimate
completed by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (Stone et al., 2020)
which is filed on SEDAR+. The current MRE has been completed in
accordance with National Instrument 43-101 (“NI-43-101”).
Alexo-Dundonald Nickel
Project
The Alexo-Dundonald Nickel Project (“A-D
Project”) is located about 45 km northeast of the City of Timmins,
Ontario, covers an area of approximately 3,666 hectares (~37 km2),
and was acquired by the Company in September 2018. The A-D Project
includes four foundation nickel deposits (Alexo North and South and
Dundonald North and South) of which the Alexo North and Alexo South
(aka Kelex) were small-scale past producers of relatively
high-grade nickel (i.e., 1957; 2004-2005). The deposits are located
on a near-continuous folded komatiite-ultramafic rock sequence that
extends for at least 14 km within the Property and which has never
been systematically explored. The four mineral resources are open
at depth and along strike and could increase in size with
additional drilling (see Company news release dated 18 April
2024).
Qualified Persons
The Qualified Person for the updated Alexo North
Mineral Resource Estimate reported herein and as defined by NI
43-101, is Mr. Simon Mortimer (FAIG #4083), Principal Geoscientist
at Atticus Geoscience Consulting, working with Caracle Creek Chile
SpA. All other technical information and data in this news release
has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.,
PGO #0183), Managing Director of Caracle Creek Chile SpA and
geological consultant to Class 1 Nickel, and a Qualified Person
under the definitions established by NI 43-101.
About Class 1 Nickel
Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited (CSE:
NICO | OTCQB: NICLF) is a Mineral Resources Company focused on the
exploration and development of its 100% owned komatiite-hosted
nickel sulphide projects: the Alexo-Dundonald Project, near
Timmins, Ontario (4 nickel sulphide deposits) and the Somanike
Project, near Val-d’Or, Quebec (includes the historical Marbridge
Ni-Cu Mine). Both projects comprise extensive property packages
covering past-producing nickel sulphide mines, offering near-term
production opportunity and excellent exploration upside.
Class 1 Nickel’s current focus is to advance the
A-D Project by adding high-grade nickel resources and then
examining the possibility of putting the deposits into production,
continuing to complete brownfield and greenfield exploration on its
large property package to aggregate additional nickel resources
outside of the current four deposits. The A-D Project sits on a 14+
km strike-length, folded komatiite unit containing several
nickel-copper-cobalt and PGE mineral resources plus numerous
underexplored sulphide occurrences. Decades of successful capital
expenditure and investment into the Project has resulted in the
discovery and delineation of four main nickel Mineral Resources
that occur along the folded komatiite unit. The A-D Project was
previously mined via a direct-shipping model, and the Company
intends to soon commence a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)
study to determine the best path forward.
In addition, the Company also holds 100%
interest in its River Valley PGE Project located about 65 km
northeast of the City of Sudbury, the world’s largest and longest
operating nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE mining camp. See the Company’s
news release dated 13 December 2023 for additional information.
For more information, please contact:
Mr. David Fitch, President & CEOT: +61.400.631.608E:
info@class1nickel.com
For additional information please visit our website
at www.class1nickel.com and our Twitter
feed: @Class1Nickel.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its
regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press
release.
This news release contains forward-looking
information which is not comprised of historical facts.
Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as
“plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”,
“estimate” and other similar words, or statements that certain
events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. Forward-looking
information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from such forward-looking information include, but are
not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets,
fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required
regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in
the mineral exploration and development industry, including those
risks set out in the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis
as filed under the Company’s profile at www.sedarplus.ca.
Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the
opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of
the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and
regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected.
Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used
in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release
are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such
information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to
update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as
required by applicable securities laws.
A photo accompanying this announcement is
available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b810f6fd-907e-490a-9e95-73923d0520a5