Name of the Project
Tamarack nickel/copper/cobalt project.

Location
Minnesota, in the US.

Project Owner/s
Talon Metals.

Project Description
A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) was completed in January 2021.

The basis of the design of the PEA has focused on a portion of the upper semimassive sulphide unit (SMSU), the lower SMSU and the massive sulphide unit (MSU). The study envisages a 1 390 t/d operation, producing 23.3-million pounds of nickel a year and 11.1-million pounds of copper over a seven-year mine life.

The PEA envisages the orebody being accessed through a 5-m-diameter shaft using transverse drift and fill for the MSU, and transverse open stoping for the SMSU.

Bulk rougher and scavenger flotation will be used, followed by separate cleaning of the rougher and scavenger concentrates.

Bulk scavenger tailings will be treated in a desulphurisation stage to produce a low-mass, high-sulphur stream and high-mass, low-sulphur tailings. Filtered low sulphur tailings (at 80% to 85% solids content) will be co-disposed, with waste rock in a lined surface facility.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Using the PEA’s base case pricing and a dis­count rate of 7%, the project has a pretax net present value of $261-million and an internal rate of return of 44.6%, with a payback from the start of production of 1.9 years.

Capital Expenditure
An initial capital cost of $174.31-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Talon aims to produce its first product by 2026.

Latest Developments
Toronto-listed Talon Metals has announced a new record at its Tamarack nickel project, with 23.44 m of massive sulphide nickel and copper mineralisation.

The record drill forms part of 26 new drill hole results. All the new holes have intercepted nickel/copper mineralisation, with assays pending.

“The four drill rigs at site are now completely focused on infill drilling within the main zone with the goal of upgrading the high-grade resource from the inferred category to the indicated category. 

“We are on target to complete our infill programme for our prefeasibility study by the end of May, and then the rigs will be deployed outside the main zone with the goal of making new discoveries at the Tamarack nickel project,” CEO Henri van Rooyen has said

Key Contracts,  Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Talon Metals president Sean Werger, tel +1416 500 9891 or email werger@talonmetals.com.