FPX Nickel Receives Multi-Year Area-Based (MYAB) Permit and Commences 2025 Drilling Activities at Baptiste Nickel Project
VANCOUVER, BC, July 7, 2025 /CNW/ - FPX Nickel Corp. (TSXV: FPX) (OTCQB: FPOCF) ("FPX" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has received a multi-year area-based ("MYAB") permit from the government of British Columbia to support the renewal of drilling activities at the Baptiste Nickel Project ("Baptiste" or "the Project") in 2025. This year's drilling program has commenced successfully, targeting the completion of geomechanical, hydrogeological, and condemnation holes to complement the Project dataset for the feasibility study and the Company's planned entry into the environmental assessment ("EA") process in the second half of 2025.
Highlights
- Receipt of multi-year area-based permit covers all anticipated Baptiste field activities required for the feasibility study ("FS") and follows a robust engagement process with nearby First Nations communities before and throughout the permitting process
- Phase one FS engineering field investigations to be completed with drilling to occur over an approximate 8-week period beginning in early July
- Approximately 2,800 m of geomechanical, hydrogeological, and condemnation drilling is planned around the Project site for this first phase of the FS field program, with most of the meterage focused within the open-pit footprint, focused on long-lead data collection for the EA and FS
- Over 75% of fieldwork expenditures are anticipated to be disbursed under the terms of contracts awarded to First Nations-owned or -affiliated businesses operating in central British Columbia
"We are pleased to have received the MYAB permit, which sets the stage for conducting all field activities required for the feasibility study and the commencement of the EA process," said Martin Turenne, FPX's President and CEO. "Throughout the permitting process, we have continued to benefit from our collaboration with the government of British Columbia's Critical Minerals Office, which has played an important role in ensuring a robust engagement process with all impacted First Nations. We continue to build on our inclusive relationships with the multiple First Nations communities connected to the Project, including the proposed mine site and associated off-site infrastructure such as the powerline and access road, and we are proud to support those communities in maximizing their economic participation in this year's program."
Feasibility Study Field Work
In connection with the environmental and cultural baseline study works ongoing at Baptiste since 2022, FPX has commenced the first phase of FS engineering field investigations. This year's program is focused on long-lead data collection that will support the EA process, as well as improved engineering definition within the open-pit footprint.
Approximately 2,800 m of geomechanical drilling, hydrogeological drilling, and condemnation drilling is planned around the Project site in 2025, with most of the meterage focused within the open-pit footprint. The second phase of the FS engineering field investigation program is expected to be undertaken in 2026 and will include resource in-fill drilling, further geomechanical drilling, further hydrogeological drilling, and ex-pit geotechnical drilling. Following the completion of the second phase of engineering field investigations, the FS is expected to be completed in 2027.
Cultural and Environmental Baseline Studies
Cultural and environmental baseline studies have been ongoing for the Baptiste Nickel Project since early 2022 and include surface water hydrology and water quality, wildlife, vegetation, fisheries and aquatics, and archeology programs. Ongoing and expanded programs were completed in 2024 in preparation for the EA process. The 2025 program is continuing to study the Project area, and includes ongoing wildlife, climate, hydrology, water quality and hydrogeology work.
The cultural and environmental studies for the Project are being conducted by local First Nations-owned and -affiliated businesses in the Project area. This approach targets the integration of First Nations perspectives into the scoping and execution of these studies and provides a strong collaborative basis for the EA process, which the Company plans to initiate in the second half of 2025.
Daniel Apai, P.Eng., FPX's Vice President, Projects, FPX's Qualified Person under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.
About the Baptiste Nickel Project
The Company's Baptiste Nickel Project represents a large-scale greenfield discovery of nickel mineralization in the form of a sulphur-free, nickel-iron mineral called awaruite (Ni3Fe) hosted in an ultramafic/ophiolite complex. The absence of sulphur and our ability to connect to the BC Hydro grid means that Baptiste has the potential to be one of the lowest carbon-intensive nickel producers in the world and will produce a very high-grade product that does not require any intermediate smelting or complex refining. The Baptiste mineral claims cover an area of 453 km2 west of Middle River and north of Trembleur Lake, in central British Columbia. In addition to the Baptiste Deposit itself, awaruite mineralization has been confirmed through drilling at several target areas within the same claims package, most notably at the Van Target which is located 6 km to the north of the Baptiste Deposit. Since 2010, approximately US$55 million has been spent on the exploration and development of Baptiste.
FPX has conducted mineral exploration activities to date subject to the conditions of agreements with First Nations and keyoh holders. In 2024, the Province of British Columbia identified the Baptiste Nickel Project as the first project to be included in the Province's new Critical Minerals Office ("CMO") concierge service initiative, a provincial strategy action to enable the prioritization of critical minerals projects in B.C. The CMO initiative is providing an excellent structure to proactively identify and address issues and opportunities ahead of the Project's entry into the environmental assessment process.
About FPX Nickel Corp.
FPX Nickel Corp. is focused on the exploration and development of the Baptiste Nickel Project, located in central British Columbia, and other occurrences of the same unique style of naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy mineralization known as awaruite. For more information, please view the Company's website at https://fpxnickel.com/.
On behalf of FPX Nickel Corp.
"Martin Turenne"
Martin Turenne, President, CEO and Director
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain of the statements made and information contained herein is considered "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Actual results could differ from those currently projected. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
SOURCE FPX Nickel Corp.
Martin Turenne, President and CEO, at (604) 681-8600 or [email protected].
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