Status update soon on this promising project would be niceSince the government grant money was identified on May 16, 2024, only one activity has been reported on. Four months on, I would expect to soon see some status updates on the other six activities, particularly whether the Feasibility study update is inwork, considering many of the new inputs would have previously been completed already. IMO, FT's in a good place, given all that has previously been mentioned and especially with the US now seriously considering setting a critical minerals price floor.
DOD funded work:
(i) completing metallurgical tests to optimize the Alberta Refinery site hydrometallurgical processes (confirmed inwork);
(ii) completing an updated Feasibility Study based on the proposed new Alberta Refinery site, new Tlicho Highway and recent project optimizations (no status yet reported);
(iii) securing the remaining authorizations, for construction and operation of the NICO mine and concentrator in the NWT preparation of management plans, and completion of a Participation Agreement (no status yet reported);
(iv) and securing permits to construct and operate the hydrometallurgical refinery at its planned brownfield site in Lamont County, Alberta (no status yet reported)
GOC funded work:
(i) expanding the test work program to assess NICO Project feed source variability and also blending of intermediates produced by Rio Tinto at their Kennecott Smelter in Utah with NICO Project process streams (no status yet reported);
(ii) completing Feasibility Study sensitivity analysis of engineering and the economic impacts of blending Rio Tinto feed sources; (no status yet reported) and
(iii) completing a Front-End Engineering and Design (“FEED”) Study (no status yet reported)