Talon Metals drills 101.71 meters of 3.04% nickel equivalent at Tamarack Nickel Project in Minnesota

Talon Metals successfully drilled 101.71 meters (333 feet) of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization at the Tamarack Nickel Project in Minnesota, grading 1.94% Ni; 1.84% Cu; 0.35 g/t Pd; 0.64 g/t Pt; and 0.62 g/t Au (1.61 g/t PGEt + Au) (3.04% NiEq). The drill hole was completed in partnership with a research team from Columbia University that is funded by the Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Mining Innovations for Negative Emissions Resource Recovery (MINER) program that funds novel approaches to enhanced metal recoveries within the mining industry. (Earlier post.)

Intercepting 101.71 meters of high-grade nickel-copper mineralization is a reminder of the uniqueness of the Tamarack Nickel Project’s US nickel resources. Most projects aspire to intercept just 2 meters (6.6 feet) of high-grade nickel. The goal of this Columbia collaboration is to both add to our understanding of the ore body, while also supporting research aimed at recovering additional nickel, copper and other critical minerals used in clean energy systems.

—Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon

Map of the Tamarack Resource Area with approximate location of drill hole 23TK0473.

A team from Columbia University has partnered with Talon to use critical mineral concentrates from the Tamarack Nickel Project to conduct lab studies that will explore potential novel processing technologies that lower the CO₂ footprint of mining operations, while increasing the amount of nickel and copper extracted from ore (beyond the high metallurgical recoveries already achievable at the Tamarack Nickel Project).

These R&D programs aim to increase US nickel production and lower the overall cost of nickel extraction compared to standard industry practices.

The drill hole was part of Talon’s approved annual drill program with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (an approval process that includes input from proximate tribal sovereign governments).

Talon and the State of Minnesota gain additional geological knowledge with respect to the Tamarack Nickel Project through the Columbia funded drilling, while Columbia will obtain material to utilize in their lab experiments to test novel approaches to enhanced metal recoveries within the mining industry.

The combination of Columbia University’s initiatives, along with Talon’s ongoing exploration and innovation programs, are part of Talon’s “full value mining” strategy to ensure that society is able to utilize the maximum amount of critical minerals in the ore that is extracted.

Talon is a TSX-listed base metals company in a joint venture with Rio Tinto on the high-grade Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project located in central Minnesota.

The Tamarack Nickel Project comprises a large land position (18 km of strike length) with additional high-grade intercepts outside the current resource area. Talon has an earn-in right to acquire up to 60% of the Tamarack Nickel Project, and currently owns 51%.

Talon is focused on (i) expanding and infilling its current high-grade nickel mineralization resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 to shape a mine plan for submission to Minnesota regulators, and (ii) following up on additional high-grade nickel mineralization in the Tamarack Intrusive Complex.

Talon has an agreement with Tesla to supply it with 75,000 metric tonnes (165 million lbs) of nickel in concentrate (and certain by-products, including cobalt and iron) from the Tamarack Nickel Project over an estimated six-year period once commercial production is achieved. (Earlier post.)