VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 12, 2011) - North American Nickel Inc. (TSX VENTURE:NAN)(OTCBB:WSCRF)(CUSIP:65704T 108) ("NAN") is pleased to announce that diamond drilling on its Post Creek property, where geological observations indicate the presence of a Footwall Embayment Structure, will commence on, or about, September 15. North American Nickel has contracted Chenier Drilling of Hanmer, Ontario to undertake a minimum 1,500 metre drill program at Post Creek.
President and C.O.O. Mark Fedikow states, "Geological interpretation by NAN geologists from detailed mapping, assisted by mechanically stripped and washed outcrop, indicate the presence of a Footwall Embayment Structure on our Post Creek property. The geological interpretation of two distinctive offset dykes was preliminary, and with additional information we have re-interpreted these features as consistent in style and morphology with a Footwall Embayment Structure. We are extremely anxious to drill test targets from our recent ground EM survey within this Structure as embayments in the footwall of the basal contact of the Nickel Irruptive host some of the largest and richest copper-nickel-platinum group metal-gold-silver deposits in the Sudbury Mining Camp."
Post Creek Embayment Structure
North American Nickel's interpretation for these features on its Post Creek property is a Footwall Embayment Structure with brecciation, quartz diorite and partial melting as its key components. Work is ongoing to assess whether the Post Creek embayment at the CJ#1 and #2 zones is an extension from the past producing Whistle nickel-copper mine, the producing Podolsky mine and the high-grade North Zone ("Golden Sidewalk"). This association is depicted below in schematic form to illustrate the interpreted potential linkage (Figure 1).
To view Figure 1 accompanying this press release, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/nan912a.jpg
The general area of discovery of two offset dykes ("CJ#1 and CJ#2; see June 16 and August 16 news releases) on the Post Creek property has been supplemented with additional exposures of similar zones of brecciation and partial melting. The CJ#1 and CJ#2 zones are not "typical" sharp-walled offset dykes, but rather zones of brecciation with a variety of contained fragments that vary from pea-sized to large blocks, and in composition, from quartz diorite and amphibolite to siliceous partial melt fragments. The zones, as exposed to date, vary from several to 40 metres and extend intermittently for hundreds of metres in east-west and north-south directions. Both the CJ#1 and CJ#2 features can be described as zones of brecciation consisting of fragments of quartz diorite associated with a broad corridor of partial melt material developed during the formation of the Sudbury Intrusive Complex ("SIC"). Outcrop stripping and power washing is ongoing in an attempt to more fully delineate these zones of partial melting and quartz diorite.
Historically, mineralization in Sudbury embayments consists of solid, near solid, stockwork and disseminated sulphide mineralization occurring within brecciated host rocks and containing copper-nickel-platinum group metals, gold and silver. Exploration to date on the Post Creek property using VTEM magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, deep-looking ground geophysics and shallow beep mat surveys accompanied by prospecting has defined multiple zones of conductance. Abitibi Geophysics interprets their InfiniTEM ground geophysical survey results at the CJ#1 and CJ#2 zones as "massive to semi-massive sulphide mineralization at approximate depths of 55 metres below surface." In addition to these targets, data from earlier prospecting along the Whistle Offset Structure produced high-grade assays of up to 15% copper, 29 g/t Au and 18.7 g/t Ag with low nickel values (see January 10, 2011 news release).
Recent field observations by North American prospector Cecil Johnson has discovered additional quartz diorite outcrops east of the CJ#1 zone which has significantly enlarged the interpreted embayment feature (Figure 2).
To view Figure 2 accompanying this press release, please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/nan912b.jpg
Qualified Person
All technical information in this release has been reviewed by Dr. Mark Fedikow , P.Geo, who is the Qualified Person for the Company and President and Chief Operating Officer, North American Nickel Inc.
About North American Nickel
North American Nickel is a mineral exploration company with 100% owned properties in Sudbury, Ontario, Maniitsoq, Greenland and the Thompson, Manitoba mining camp. The Company's initial focus is on two Sudbury, Ontario properties and its Greenland project.
The Post Creek/Halycon property in Sudbury is strategically located adjacent to the producing Podolsky copper-nickel-platinum group metal deposit of Quadra FNX Mining. The property lies along the extension of the Whistle Offset dyke structure, which is a major geological control for Ni-Cu-PGM mineralization.
The Bell Lake property in Sudbury is a 256-acre property that covers approximately one kilometre of the Mystery Offset dyke or MOD. The MOD is interpreted to be an extension of the Worthington Offset dyke which is a 10 to 11 kilometre-long mineralized structure that extends from the southwest margin of the Sudbury igneous complex.
North American Nickel also controls a 4,841 square km Mineral Exploration Licence in southwest Greenland with exclusive mineral exploration rights. The principal target is high-grade nickel-copper occurrences associated with norite and other mafic and ultramafic intrusions.
The Company has also acquired 100% ownership in the high-grade Ni-Cu-PGE South Bay property near Thompson, Manitoba and the large grassroots Thompson North and Cedar Lake properties, which are part of the world-class Thompson Nickel Belt in Manitoba. North American Nickel Inc. is a member of the North Shore Mining Group.
Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and as that term defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbours created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the Company's actual results may differ materially from the expected results.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
North American Nickel Inc.
Rick Mark
CEO and Chair
604-986-2020 or Toll free: 1-866-816-0118
nan2015.q4web.com
