Power Nickel Files the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Mineral Resource Estimate of the Nisk Project
Power Nickel Files the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Mineral
Resource Estimate of the Nisk Project
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 30, 2022 / Power Nickel Inc. (the "Company"
or "Power Nickel") (TSX-V:PNPN)(OTCBB:CMETF)(Frankfurt IVVI) has filed on
SEDAR the Technical Report entitled "NI 43 101 Technical Report and Mineral Resource
Estimate for the Nisk Project, Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Québec". The Technical
Report was prepared by 3DGeo Solution Inc. (3DGS) of Val-d'Or, Québec, to support the
disclosure of the Nisk Project 2022 Mineral Resource Estimate on July 19, 2022. The Technical
Report is available on SEDAR and will be made available on the company's website.
Outlined below is a summary of Power Nickel's Nisk Project Mineral Resource Estimate; with
an effective date of May 17, 2022:
The Mineral Resource has been defined in both Open-Pit and Underground mining scenarios
The combined estimated Indicated Resources is 2.6 million tonnes grading 1.20 %NiEq,
using a base case cut-off grade of 0.33 %NiEq for open pit constrained resources and a base case
cut-off grade of 0.91 %NiEq for underground constrained resources.
The combined estimated Inferred Resources is 1.4 million tonnes grading 1.29 %NiEq,
using a base case cut-off grade of 0.33 %NiEq for open pit constrained resources and a base case
cut-off grade of 0.91 %NiEq for underground constrained resources.
The Nisk Project is located south of James Bay, a region that is the site of several mining projects
(Figure 1) and improving infrastructure (Figure 2).
Figure 1 - Location of the Nisk Project with respect to the location of other known deposits.
Figure 2 - Location of the Nisk Project with respect to the current infrastructure available
in the area.
Power Nickel completed the acquisition of its option to acquire up to 80% of the Nisk Project
from Critical Elements Lithium Corp. The Nisk Project comprises a significant land position (20
kilometers of strike length) with numerous high-grade Nickel intercepts. Since completion of the
option, Power Nickel retained 3DGeo Solution Inc to create a geological model of the Nisk
Project and used this as a guide to the very successful initial Power Nickel 2400-metre drill
program completed last December and reported in March of 2022.
Based on this drill program and the historical drill results, 3DGeo Solution Inc. was mandated to
produce a NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate and Technical Report. Engineering
work related to defining a constraining pit shell and underground mineable shapes was
contracted to InnovExplo Inc. The Highlights of the Mineral Resource Estimate and Technical
Report are below.
Table 1 - 2022 Nisk Project Mineral Resource Estimate.
Note: NiEq = Nickel Equivalent, Ni = Nickel, Cu = Copper, Co = Cobalt, Pt = Platinum, Pd =
Palladium, Au = Gold, Ag = Silver, % = Percent, g = Gram, t = Metric tonne
Notes to Accompany Mineral Resource Table:
1. The Independent Qualified Persons for the purposes of this Mineral Resource Estimate
(MRE), as defined in NI 43-101, is Kenneth Williamson, P.Geo.. (OGQ # 1490) of Solution
3DGéo inc. The effective date of the estimate is May 17, 2022.
2. The estimate of the mineral resources of the Nisk Project complies with the "CIM
Estimation of Mineral Resourc es and Mineral Reserves Best Practice Guidelines" of
November 29, 2019. The Mineral Resources were estimated in accordance with the
Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM), CIM Standards on Mineral
Resources and Reserves, Definitions (2014), and Best Practices Guidelines (2019) prepared
by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions and adopted by the CIM Council.
3. These mineral resources are not mineral reserves since their economic viability has not
been demonstrated.
4. The resources are presented before dilution and in situ and are considered to have
reasonable prospects of economic extraction. Isolated and discontinuous blocks with a
grade greater than the selected cut-off grade are excluded from the estimate of underground
mineral resources. The blocks that must be included, i.e., isolated blocks with a grade below
the cut-off grade located within potentially mineable volumes, have been included in the
mineral resource estimate.
5. As of May 17, 2022, the database included a total of 66 drill holes (59 historic and seven
recent 2021 drill holes) totaling 15,266.3 meters of drilling.
6. A value of half of the assay lab detection limit for each element was used as a grade for
the un-assayed core.
7. The assays were grouped wit hin the mineralized domains in composites of 1.00 meters
in length.
8. The block model was prepared using Leapfrog® Geo and Edge software. The block
model consists of 2-meter parent blocks and sub-blocks of 1 meter. The block model has a
dip azimuth of 340°.
9. An interpolation according to the "inverse distance squared" ("ID 2") method was
performed to estimate the grades in the interpreted mineralized volume.
10. An interpolation according to the "inverse distance squared" ("ID 2") method was
performed to estimate the Density (SG) in the interpreted mineralized volume. Sample
intervals with missing SG values were calculated based on a strong correlation with %Ni.
The calculation used was SG = (0.7001 x %Ni) + 2.6751.
11. The "Open Pit" mineral resources are presented at a cut -off grade of 0.33 %NiEq and
are confined within a "Whittle" pit shell. The "Underground" mineral resources are
presented at a cut-off grade of 0.91 %NiEq and are confined within volumes defined using
"DSO" (Deswik Stope Shape Optimizer). These volumes correspond to groups of
contiguous blocks with a reasonable size to be exploited by underground mining methods.
12. The engineering work required for the cut -off grade estimation and the creation of the
DSO volumes were performed by InnovExplo Inc., and the following economic parameters
were used: US $8.00/lb Nickel, $3.00/lb Cu, $25.00/lb Cobalt, $1000/Oz Platinum,
$1000/Oz Palladium, $1300/Oz Gold, and $17.00/Oz Silver; Exchange rate of USD/CAD
1.30, metallurgical recovery of 85%, total processing cost CA $40.00/t, mining cost CA
$6.00/t, mining overburden cost CA $4.20/t, underground mining cost CA $110.00/t, G&A
cost CA $12.20/t, northern logistics costs CA $10.00/t. It should be noted that the G&A
cost could be underestimated depending on the extraction sequence chosen.
13. The independent qualified person is not aware of any environmental, licensing, legal,
title-related, tax, socio-political or marketing-related issue, or any other relevant issue that
could have a material impact on the estimate of mineral resources.
14. The numbers of tonnes are rounded to the nearest hundred to reflect uncertainties, which
may cause slight differences.
"Power Nickel was extremely pleased with the inaugural Mineral Resource Estimate and Technical
Report. When taken in context with our very conservative assumptions and the clear infill drilling
opportunities, as outlined below in the two figures showing isometric views of the potentially
economic pit-constrained and underground stope-constrained mineral resources, we feel we have
shown Nisk has significant commercial potential. The resource update has clearly indicated some
additional infill drilling is needed, and these holes, as well as step -out targets, are now in the
process of being permitted as part of our upcoming fully funded drill program," commented Power
Nickel CEO Terry Lynch. "We already have permitted several drill targets to the flanks of the
current deposit designed to extend the deposit and test new potential pods for additional resources.
Historically, Nickel Sulfide deposits don't exist in isolated solo deposits but typically have a string
of pearl formation where multiple pearls or pods of resources are assembled in a close geographic
area. The next round of drilling, commencing in September, will focus on infill drilling targets
outlined by the Mineral Resources Estimate and Technical Report and on this search to extend and
discover new Nickel pods. We expect this phase of drilling to continue throug h the fall with a
minimum of 3,000 meters drilled and a maximum of 7,000 meters depending on our ability to
continue to intersect the Black Peridotite rock, which is carrying the Nickel grade in the Nisk
deposit."
Figure 3 shows the grade of the Nickel Equ ivalent (%NiEq) mineral resources, and Figure 4
shows the mineral resource classification (indicated and inferred). Note that portions of the deposit
still contain unclassified mineral potential and requiring more infill drilling to potentially include
this in a future updated MRE.
Figure 3 - Isometric view of the 2022 Nisk Project Mineral Resource Estimate, showing
both the open pit constrained resources (using a cut-off grade of 0.33 %NiEq) and the
underground constrained resources (at a cut-off grade of 0.91 %NiEq).
Figure 4 - Isometric view of the 2022 Nisk Project Mineral Resource Classification,
showing both the open pit constrained resources (using a cut-off grade of 0.33 %NiEq) and
the underground constrained resources (at a cut-off grade of 0.91 %NiEq).
Table 2 shows the different cut-off grade (CoG) sensitivities based on Nickel Price (+/ - 10% and
20% of the base case scenario). The base case scenario is highlighted in light yellow. Table 3
shows the CoG and correlated Nickel metal prices in USD$ per pound.
Table 2 - 2022 Nisk Project Mineral Resource Estimate Cut-off Grade Sensitivity.
Note: NiEq = Nickel Equivalent, Ni = Nickel, Cu = Copper, Co = Cobalt, Pt = Platinum, Pd =
Palladium, Au = Gold, Ag = Silver, % = Percent, g = Gram, t = Metric tonne; Base Case
highlighted in light yellow.
Table 3 - 2022 Nisk Project Mineral Resource Estimate Cut-off Grade Sensitivity with
Correlated Nickel Price Sensitivity.