Canada Nickel reports initial assessment of Crawford project

Canada Nickel Company (TSXV: CNC) has announced initial results from a mineralogical assessment of its Crawford nickel-cobalt project, located 40 km north of Timmins, Ontario.

The first phase of mineral processing work at the deposit was used to determine the proportion of nickel contained within the nickel sulphide minerals pentlandite and heazlewoodite, and the nickel-iron allow mineral awaruite.

An assessment of 44 samples from the higher-grade core confirmed that 89% of the nickel was contained in nickel sulphide and nickel-alloy minerals, with 97% in the minerals pentlandite and heazlewoodite and 3% in the mineral awaruite, and 11% in unrecoverable silicate minerals.

For the lower-grade zones, the assessment confirmed that 59% of the nickel was present in the nickel sulphide and nickel-alloy minerals, with 89% contained in pentlandite and heazlewoodite and 11% in awaruite, and 41% in unrecoverable silicate minerals.

The assessment also confirmed that both the higher and lower grade mineralized areas contain significant amounts of magnetite, with the higher-grade core averaging 8.7% and the lower grade zones, 6.9%.

“We are excited with these results, which have exceeded the company’s expectations,” Mark Selby, the company’s chairman and CEO, said in a press release. “These initial mineralogy results support our strategy to continue to aggressively advance Crawford and represent an important first step towards understanding what the ultimate nickel recoveries will be. These mineralogy test results are very encouraging, and I look forward to building on these positive results, with additional samples we have already shipped to the labs for assessment.”

Crawford has measured and indicated resources of 600 million tonnes grading 0.25% nickel and 0.013% cobalt. The measured and indicated resource features a higher-grade core of 263 million tonnes grading 0.31% nickel, 0.013% cobalt and 0.038 grams palladium and platinum per tonne.

Inferred resources stand at 310 million tonnes grading 0.23% nickel and 0.013% cobalt. The inferred resource also contains a high-grade core of 66 million tonnes grading 0.29% nickel and 0.013% cobalt.

The Crawford nickel-cobalt project covers 49 sq. km and hosts gold, nickel, cobalt and base metals at various stages of exploration, and will look to supply metals to the burgeoning electric vehicle and stainless steel markets in North America.