Fort St. James Nickel Corp.: Nickel Mine Model Developed for Kilometer 26 Project
April 11 2012 - 2:16PM
Marketwired Canada
Fort St. James Nickel Corp. (the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:FTJ) is pleased to
announce that a conceptual mine model is being developed for the Kilometer 26
nickel project located north of the community of Fort St. James in central
British Columbia. The model is predicated on applying similar economies of scale
and process technology to what is currently utilized at several bulk tonnage,
low grade copper porphyry deposits in BC. With the exception of the floatation
circuit in the mine mill, which would float nickel sulphides instead of copper
sulphides and possibly additionally include a magnetic recovery unit, it is
envisioned that a mine could be developed using the same procedures as a bulk
tonnage open pit copper mine. On February 14, 2012 Imperial Metals Corporation
publicly filed its technical report which outlines its plans to construct and
operate the Red Chris copper/gold deposit located in Northern BC. Imperial
estimates the capital cost for constructing a 30,000 tonne per day mine at 444
million dollars with operating costs at $9.96 per tonne ore processed.
Recent drilling at Kilometer 26 has confirmed that a magnetic anomaly with
dimensions of 7,000 metres by 500 to 750 metres reflects a serpentinized
ultramafic body which is pervasively mineralized with a combination of low grade
silicate, sulphide and alloy nickel. A 1,680 metre by 400 metre area of this
feature has so far been drill tested with all holes starting and ending in
mineralized serpentinite. Preliminary metallurgical testing has confirmed that
most of the mineralization is high nickel content pentlandite (average 35% Ni in
the sulphide fraction). Four of the six holes completed contain nickel
intercepts of 0.20% to 0.24% total Ni with included sulphide nickel at 0.10% to
0.15% Ni respectively. At prevailing nickel prices, ($8.75 a pound), ore grading
0.14% recoverable Ni sulphide would have a gross in situ value of $27.00 per
tonne, well in excess of predicted operating costs of (+/-$10.00 per tonne). A
key factor in making the Kilometer 26 project concept feasible is the virtual
absence of non-nickel bearing sulphides which if present would dilute the
resulting sulphide concentrate. At a 30,000 tonne per day capacity a bulk
tonnage nickel sulphide mine recovering 0.14% Ni (in sulphide) would produce 31
million pounds of nickel (in concentrate) annually. Preliminary metallurgical
work completed at Kilometer 26 suggests the concentrate would grade 35% nickel
with some accessory cobalt making it very attractive to the Ni concentrate
market and very amenable to cost effective transportation. Similar concepts to
develop bulk tonnage nickel deposits are now at the pre-feasibility stage at
Royal Nickels Dumont project in Quebec.
Summary of Significant Ni Sulphide Intercepts from 2011 Drill program
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From-To Intercept Ni (sulphide) Depth of Hole
Hole (m) (m) (%) Bottom (m)
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K-11-1 40.0-72.0 32.0 0.091 72
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K-11-2 35-57 22.0 0.127
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93-156 63.0 0.119
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168.0-200.0 32.0 0.102 200
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
K-11-4 21.0-64.0 43.0 0.144
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134.0-171.0 37.0 0.153 171
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
K-11-5 56.0-106.0 53.0 0.104 106
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Hole K-11-2 ended in mineralization grading 0.125% Ni sulphide while hole K-11-4
ended in mineralization grading 0.178% Ni sulphide.
Nickel Sulphide was determined by Acme Analytical Labs at their Vancouver, BC
facilities using an ammonia citrate peroxide leach procedure which is reputed to
be specific for nickel sulphide and not subject to significant contamination
from a nickel silicate source. Acme Analytical Labs Ltd. is an ISO 9001
certified facility.
The Kilometre 26 Project encompasses 12,479 hectares (30,835 acres), located in
the Omineca Mining Division of British Colombia near the community of Fort St.
James approximately two and a half hours by highway from the city of Prince
George. Due to the relatively low elevation of the Kilometre 26 property and its
excellent access, exploration programs can be carried out year-round. Kilometre
26 is accessed by an all-season arterial logging road.
J.W. (Bill) Morton, PGeo, a qualified person for the purposes of National
Instrument 43-101, has read and taken responsibility for this news release.
We seek Safe Harbor.
Further detail with respect to recent exploration work conducted on the Property
is available in the Company's website www.fortstjamesnickel.com.
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed
"forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are
not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words
"expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates",
"projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions
"will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Fort St. James
Nickel believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements
are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of
future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in
forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs,
estimates and opinions of Fort St. James management on the date the statements
are made. Fort St. James Nickel Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or
opinions, or other factors, should change, except as required by law.
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