Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 19, 2018) - North American Nickel Inc. (TSXV: NAN) (OTCQB: WSCRF) (CUSIP: 65704T108) (the "Company") has completed its 2018 exploration and drilling program at the Company's 100% owned Maniitsoq nickel-copper-cobalt-PGM project in Southwest Greenland.
NAN completed 14,287.6 metres of drilling this season, which includes 1,305m at the Qeqertaasaq Carbonatite Complex (see news release dated September 10, 2018). This represents an increase of 5,520.6m from our previous program in 2017. This year's program was achieved over a 15 week period and surpassed the initial planned program of 12,500m.
The 2018 exploration program took a step away from NAN's previous exploration strategy, which involved the systematic follow-up down plunge of known mineral zones, anticipating that these shallow pipe-like bodies would grow in size at depth and achieve an economic threshold. The strategy for 2018 placed an emphasis on evaluating the roots of large intrusions that contain thick intervals of noritic rock with unusually high magnesium oxide (MgO) concentrations. This new approach, was driven by the technical data that indicated that the majority of the highest-grade mineralization comprising of heavily disseminated, net-textured, breccia and massive sulphides are hosted within a specific high MgO rock type termed melanorite.
This strategy drove NAN to investigate the contacts, keels, and root zones of some of the intrusions where there is space for a large tonnage melanorite hosted deposit of high-grade breccia and massive sulphide mineralization within a broader envelope of disseminated sulphide.
Exploration activity in 2018 was focused on the use of geological and geophysical data to target the melanorite contact and keel zones of prioritized intrusions at Fossilik, P-030-31-32, P-008, Pingo and in the footprint of the Imiak Hill Complex (Figure 1). The program included the use of deep-penetrating surface electromagnetic methods designed to optimize the possibility of detecting large conductive massive sulphide bodies at depth, coupled with borehole electromagnetic surveys (BHEM), structural geology, surface physical property, geochemical sampling, and 3D modeling. The extensive program of work has generated the data and samples required to add significant value to the Maniitsoq database, and provides a basis to refine future exploration strategies.
NAN's CEO Keith Morrison stated, "The Greenland Norite Belt, when compared on a global basis to other NiS exploration projects, is unusually well endowed with numerous zones of high-quality Ni-Cu-Co-precious metal mineralization. The bulk of the known occurrences within the belt, have elevated Ni grades with high Ni tenors. Outside of the Maniitsoq project, there are very few opportunities for exploration assets, located in a supportive jurisdiction, that offers the combination of exploration potential and metal value that if successful, will supply the long term market demand for strategic base metals."
The 2018 program of work was executed from the Maniitsoq Camp. Despite challenging weather conditions this season, a total of 14,287.6m of drilling in 33 holes was completed by early September. These numbers include 6 holes drilled on the Qeqertaasaq Carbonatite Complex designed to test potential nickel targets and evaluate the strategic metal potential in this area. Table 1 provides a list of the drilling completed at each target area. Turnaround time from shipping of samples out of camp to receipt of finalized assays is approximately 6 to 10 weeks. The Company plans to collate assay results as they are received and report them by target area or grouped target areas.
Table 1: Listing of 2018 Drill Holes by Target Area
| Target Area | Hole Number | Length (m) |
| Fossilik:P-058 Deep | MQ-18-158 | 797 |
| Fossilik Body | MQ-18-161 | 948 |
| Fossilik Body | MQ-18-173 | 1164 |
| Fossilik Body | MQ-18-184 | 814.7 |
| P-246 | MQ-18-189 | 260.1 |
| |
| Imiak Hill Complex: Spotty Hill | MQ-18-157 | 788 |
| G-036 | MQ-18-160 | 579 |
| G-026 | MQ-18-165** | 22.2 |
| G-026 | MQ-18-166 | 690.8 |
| G-017 | MQ-18-170 | 732.8 |
| G-017 | MQ-18-178 | 498 |
| G-026 | MQ-18-179 | 461 |
| |
| P-030/P-032: | | |
| P-032 | MQ-18-181 | 645 |
| P-030 | MQ-18-186 | 417 |
| P-031 | MQ-18-188 | 672 |
| |
| P-008 : | MQ-18-162 | 171 |
| | MQ-18-163 | 231 |
| | MQ-18-167 | 326 |
| | MQ-18-177 | 443 |
| |
| Pingo : | MQ-18-183 | 333 |
| | MQ-18-185 | 321 |
| | MQ-18-187 | 363 |
| |
| OTHER: | | |
| G-025 | MQ-18-176 | 516 |
| P-005 | MQ-18-164 | 122 |
| P-293 | MQ-18-180 | 252 |
| P-293 | MQ-18-182 | 86 |
| P-012 | MQ-18-159 | 329 |
| |
| Qeqertaasaq Carbonatite Complex : | | |
| | MQ-18-168 | 140 |
| | MQ-18-169 | 413 |
| | MQ-18-171 | 104 |
| | MQ-18-172 | 203 |
| | MQ-18-174 | 224 |
| | MQ-18-175 | 221 |
| |
| | TOTAL: | 14,287.6 |
Notes:
*EOH lengths have been rounded to nearest decimetre
** Hole stopped and re-drilled as MQ-18-166
Technical Information; "Qualified Person"
The Company is not aware of any legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the project other than those set out in its annual information form filed on www.sedar.com. Please see below under the heading "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements" for further details regarding risks facing the Company.
All technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Peter C. Lightfoot, Ph.D., P.Geo. (Chief Geologist), who is the Qualified Person for the Company.