Highlights

• The final three holes in the western portion of the Main Zone continue to extend higher grade mineralization – which remains open to the west
  • All three holes yielded core lengths of 121 to 188 metres of 0.34% nickel
  • Hole 59 collared in higher grade mineralization and yielded true width of 78 metres of 0.34% nickel
• Hole CR20-59 yielded one of the best PGM Zone intersections to date – a core length of 9 metres of 1.5 g/t PGM which deepened mineralization by more than 250 metres

Canada Nickel Company Inc. (TSX-V:CNC) announced additional encouraging results from infill drilling on the Main Zone at its Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide project.

“We are encouraged by these ongoing excellent results from our infill drilling program.  These most recent results continue to expand and better define the higher-grade mineralization in the western end of the Main Zone which remains open to the west – the westernmost hole yielded a core length of 188 m of 0.34% nickel.  In addition, new drill results delivered another strong intersection from the PGM Zone,” said Mark Selby, Chair and CEO of Canada Nickel. 

“We anticipate receiving assays from the final three infill holes from the eastern end of the Main Zone within the next week and expect to deliver the updated resource during the first half of October. We also expect assays from the three follow-up holes on the previously reported PGM results from hole CR20-32 (which yielded three separate intersections including 2.6 g/t PGM over 7.5 metres) during the next few weeks. Additionally, we are expecting a steady series of assay results from drilling now underway on prospective geophysical nickel targets on the several kilometres of the Crawford structure.  Canada Nickel looks forward to continue delivering regular and notable updates through the balance of 2020 and we remain on track to deliver a Preliminary Economic Assessment by year-end.”

The Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project is located in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp in Ontario, Canada, and is adjacent to well-established, major infrastructure associated with over 100 years of regional mining activity.

Main Zone Infill Results

Infill drilling on the Main Zone continued to focus on more clearly defining and upgrading the Higher-Grade Core resource, which was previously defined as part of the resource estimate and dips steeply within the ultramafic unit and having a previously reported true thickness that varies from 40 m to 160 m.  Assays from the remaining six in-fill holes will be released over the next several weeks. See Table 1 and Figure 1 and 2 for results.

Table 1 – Main Zone Nickel – Drilling Results, Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project, Ontario

These holes were drilled at steep angles of -80 degrees almost entirely within the higher-grade core to better determine grade, or -50 degrees to help better define northern or southern boundaries of the higher grade core.  See Table 3.  The estimated true width of this zone has been determined from previous drilling to vary from 40 to 160 m depending on location of the section.

PGM Zone

Hole CR20-59 intersected 1.5 g/t palladium + platinum (0.6 g/t Pd, 0.9 g/t Pt) over 9 metres (true width 5.9m), from 460.5 metres downhole at the northern contact between the peridotite and pyroxenite layer immediately to the north and parallel to the Main Zone nickel-cobalt-palladium resource. See Table 2 and Figure 3 for results.

Table 2 – PGM Zone – Drilling Results, Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project, Ontario

Next Steps

All drill results to date will be incorporated into an updated resource now expected early next month.  Drilling has begun on several other prospective geophysical targets on the several kilometres of the Crawford structure, including those which were previous untested on the west side of the highway.

Table 3 – Drill Hole Orientation, Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project, Ontario

Assays, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and Drilling and Assay Procedures

William E. MacRae, MSc, P.Geo., a “qualified person” as defined by NI 43-101, is responsible for the on-going drilling and sampling program, including quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). The core is collected from the drill in sealed core trays and transported to the core logging facility. The core is marked and sampled at 1.5 metre lengths and cut with a diamond blade saw. Samples are bagged with QA/QC samples inserted in batches of 35 samples per lot. Samples are transported in secure bags directly from the Canada Nickel core shack to Actlabs Timmins, an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited lab. Analysis for precious metals (gold, platinum and palladium) are completed by Fire Assay while analysis for nickel, cobalt, sulphur and 17 other elements are performed using a peroxide fusion and ICP-OES analysis. Certified standards and blanks are inserted at a rate of one QA/QC sample per 32 core samples making a batch of 35 samples that are submitted for analysis.

Qualified Person and Data Verification

Stephen J. Balch P.Geo. (ON), VP Exploration of Canada Nickel and a “qualified person” as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has verified the data disclosed in this news release, and has otherwise reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc.

About Canada Nickel Company

Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-cobalt sulphide projects to deliver nickel and cobalt required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets.  Canada Nickel Company has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero Nickel^TM, NetZero Cobalt^TM, NetZero Iron^TM and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel, cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel and cobalt in low political risk jurisdictions.  Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp.