29 April
2024
Bluejay Mining plc / Ticker: JAY /
Market: AIM / Sector: Mining
Update on Disko-Nuussuaq
Ni-Cu-Co-PGE Project
Bluejay Mining plc ("Bluejay" or
"Company") announces an update by its joint venture company Nikkeli
Greenland A/S ("Nikkeli"), in collaboration with its JV partner
KoBold Metals ("KoBold"), announces an update on the Disko-Nuussuaq
Ni-Cu-Co-PGE-Au project in West Greenland.
Following an intensive period of
analysis and interpretation, KoBold's technical teams completed the
integration of the extensive geochemical, geophysical, and
geological data collected during the 2022 exploration campaign.
Leveraging KoBold's proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) and
machine learning (ML) platforms, this comprehensive analysis has
resulted in the identification of seven initial priority targets
within the project area.
These seven priority targets exhibit
spatial characteristics indicative of potential deposits on a scale
comparable to renowned mining operations such as Norilsk, Voisey's
Bay, or Jinchuan. To de-risk drilling, these priority targets will
undergo a focused ground-loop electromagnetic survey to refine and
prioritize each locality appropriately.
Under Stage II of the joint venture
agreement, KoBold was required to incur US$11.6 million in
drilling-related expenditures or completing 15 pre-agreed diamond
drill holes within the licensed areas by December 31, 2024, or
Bluejay's interest in Nikkeli will increase from 49% to 51%. Prior
to the December 2023 board re-structuring, JV discussions were
focussed around KoBold's early reversion of the joint venture,
rather than 2024 field activities. Consequently, the lead-time
necessary to secure specialized drilling equipment far exceeded
what would have been possible in 2024. Accordingly, the Company
does not expect drilling at the project during the course of
2024.
All Nikkeli licenses remain in good
standing in 2024 without the need for additional expenditure,
showcasing the project's stability and long-term viability. Looking
ahead, the Nikkeli anticipates initiating planning for 2025
activities in late 2024 and is committed to advancing the
Disko-Nuusuaq project in partnership with KoBold Metals.
Additionally, Nikkeli has been
granted a new Mineral Exploration Licence (MEL) 2024-30, on the
northeast coast of Disko Island. The newly held licence covers an
area of 112 km2, increasing Nikkeli's total licence area
to 3,015 km2. This licence was strategically obtained as
a natural extension of exposed sedimentary rocks, which represent
the prime geological environment for hosting potential ultramafic
intrusions.
Eric Sondergaard, Managing Director of Bluejay Mining,
commented: "Our strategy at Disko
& Nuussuaq moving forward is clear: We will prioritize the
evaluation of the largest and most promising anomalies; the fact
that we've identified seven anomalies of globally significant size
is a powerful testament to the immense prospectivity of the
project. Focussing on the biggest, best, anomalies ensures that we
maximize our chances of success while effectively allocating the
JV's resources. We also acknowledge the invaluable contribution of
our JV partner, KoBold Metals. Their expertise and innovative
technology have been instrumental in our exploration efforts.
Together, we're proud to stand side by side as partners in the
development of what we hope is a globally significant nickel and
copper prospect."
Kurt House, KoBold Metals CEO said: "We are thrilled to have Eric back at the Bluejay helm; he's a
great technical operator, and with his leadership, we look forward
to unlocking the full potential of our partnership. The
foundational prospectivity of Disko remains compelling, and we're
keen to figure out the most effective way to deploy our technology
for the project's advancement. Our AI and machine learning
platforms are most effective when integrated into the exploration
workflow, and we believe that an active ground EM survey guided by
KoBold's stochastic-inversion technology is the best next step in
the Disko campaign."
Market Abuse Regulation (MAR)
Disclosure
The information contained within
this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside
information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU)
No. 596/2014 ('MAR') which has been incorporated into UK law by the
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
For further information please
visit http://www.bluejaymining.com or
contact:
Eric Sondergaard
|
Bluejay Mining plc
|
enquiry@bluejaymining.com
|
Ewan Leggat / Adam Cowl
|
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
(Nominated Adviser and Broker)
|
+44 (0) 20 3470 0470
|
Tim Blythe / Megan Ray / Said
Izagaren
|
BlytheRay
(Media Contact)
|
+44 (0) 20 7138 3205
|
Map of New Mineral
Exploration Licence Area
Figure 1.
Nikkeli Greenland A/S newly granted MEL 2024-30 area on the NE
coast of Disko Island, Central West Greenland
Newly Identified Falcon® AGG
Anomalies
Detailed modelling of the 2022
Xcalibur Multiphysics Falcon® AGG and magnetic data has now been
completed in-house by Kobold. AGG and magnetic datasets were
analysed and tested against proposed target intrusions resulting in
the identification of seven large-scale positive gravity
anomalies.
None of the newly identified gravity
anomalies currently have corresponding Electromagnetic (EM) survey
coverage. Follow up work including detailed EM surveys is planned
as part of future programmes to refine and better characterise the
gravity anomalies.
Figure 2.
Locations of 7 newly identified positive Falcon® AGG
anomalies at Disko-Nuussuaq.
Selected Gravity Anomaly: Affarsuaq Valley NE (Anomaly
#2)
· 4 km
long x 600 m wide x 400 m thick
· 2.97
g/cm3 mafic body in 2.5 g/cm3
sediments
· Top of
intrusion likely located at-depth, within 700m of
surface
Figure 3.
Falcon AGG forward modelling. Forward and residual response of
Falcon GZZ component in units of Etvos.
About the Disko-Nuussuaq
Project
The Disko and Nuussuaq Project
comprises six MELs covering a total area of 3,015 km2
located on Disko Island and the Nuussuaq Peninsula in Central West
Greenland. The project area is located approximately 120 kilometres
northwest of Ilulissat, Greenland's third-largest city, which
serves as the educational, commercial, and administrative hub of
Central West Greenland, with a population of 4,700. Ilulissat is
well-equipped with essential infrastructure including an airport,
deep-water port facilities, and various service providers. Notably,
a new international airport is currently under construction and is
anticipated to be operational by 2025. Since 2016, Bluejay has
maintained a logistical base in Ilulissat, comprising an
exploration office, accommodation, and warehouse facilities,
supporting its operations at the Disko-Nuussuaq and Kangerluarsuk
projects. Additionally, the Nikkeli operates a modular exploration
camp for up to 40 personnel situated at the abandoned coal mining
town of Qullissat on Disko Island.
The Disko-Nuussuaq Project is hosted
within the West Greenland Flood Basalt Province ('WGFBP'). The
WGFBP is associated with the initial phase of continental breakup
and the onset of seafloor spreading of the Labrador Sea during the
early Palaeogene. This province serves as a recognized geological
analogue to the Siberian Flood Basalts of the Noril'sk Region of
Siberia. This analogy was first recognised by Cominco (now Teck)
and provided the exploration framework that has guided subsequent
exploration efforts. Moreover, various peer-reviewed scientific
studies (e.g., Lightfoot et al., 1997; Lightfoot and Hawkesworth,
1997; Keays and Lightfoot, 2007) have highlighted the similarities
between the geology of the Noril'sk region (which hosts the
Noril'sk-Talnakh nickel-copper-cobalt-palladium mining district,
the world's largest nickel producing district) and the
Disko-Nuussuaq region. Notably, based on combined reserves,
resources, and historical production, it has been estimated that
the total value of ores in the Norilsk-Talnakh district surpassed
US$1.4 trillion at 2020 metal prices (Barnes et al.,
2020).
Figure 4.
(A) Simplified geological map of Central West Greenland (B)
Geological map of Disko and Nuussuaq, K-Q Fault:
Kuugannguaq-Qunnilik fault system. (Pedersen at
al., 2017)
About Bluejay Mining plc
Bluejay is listed on the London AIM
market and Frankfurt Stock Exchange and its shares also trade on
the Pink Market in the US. With multiple projects in Greenland and
Finland, Bluejay offers both portfolio and commodity
diversification focused on base and precious metals in Tier 1
jurisdictions.
Bluejay, through its wholly owned
subsidiary Disko Exploration Ltd., has signed a definitive Joint
Venture Agreement with KoBold Metals to guide exploration for new
deposits rich in the critical materials required for the green
energy transition and electric vehicles (the Disko-Nuussuaq
nickel-copper-cobalt-PGE Project). This project is Bluejay's
primary focus.
Bluejay's most advanced project is
the Dundas Ilmenite Project in Greenland, which is fully permitted
and being developed towards production in the near term, with
preparatory activities scheduled to commence in 2022. Dundas has a
Mineral Resource reported in accordance with the JORC Code of 117Mt
at 6.1% ilmenite and a maiden offshore Exploration Target of
between 300Mt and 530Mt of ilmenite at an average expected grade
range of 0.4 - 4.8% ilmenite in-situ. The Company has agreed a
Master Distribution Agreement with a major Asian conglomerate for
up-to 340ktpa of its anticipated 440ktpa annual output. The Company
has signed on a major European bank to head the financing syndicate
for Dundas. The Company's strategy is focused on securing financing
ahead of commencing commercial production at Dundas in order to
create a company capable of self-funding exploration on its current
and future projects.
Disko Exploration Ltd holds two
additional projects in Greenland - the 692 sq km Kangerluarsuk
zinc-lead- silver project, where historical work has recovered
grades of up to 45.4% zinc, 9.3% lead and 596 g/t silver; and the
920 sq km Thunderstone project which has the potential to host
large-scale base metal and gold deposits. Bluejay also owns 100% of
the fully permitted Dundas Ilmenite Project under its subsidiary
Dundas Titanium A/S in northwest Greenland.
In Finland, Bluejay currently holds
three large scale multi-metal projects through its wholly owned
subsidiary FinnAust Mining Finland Oy. The Company has identified
multiple drill ready targets at the Enonkoski nickel-copper-cobalt
project in East Finland. Bluejay's Hammaslahti
copper-zinc-gold-silver project hosts high-grade VMS mineralization
and extensions of historical ore lodes have been proven. The drill
ready Outokumpu copper-nickel-cobalt-zinc-gold-silver project is
located in a prolific geological belt that hosts several high-grade
former mines. In August 2023, Bluejay successfully divested its
Black Schist Projects in Finland to Metals One plc in a transaction
worth £4.125 million (Bluejay currently owns c. 29% of the issued
ordinary share capital of AIM listed Metals One plc).