• Imiak Hill: 9.85 meters @ 2.67% Ni, 0.60% Cu,
• Fossilik: 12.89 meters @ 2.24% Ni, 0.63% Cu, and
• Quagssuk: 4.95 meters @ 1.97% Ni, 0.43% Cu.

The Maniitsoq area is underlain predominantly by highly deformed and metamorphosed Archean gneisses (Figure 2; above). Supracrustal rocks comprise about 10% of the area and consist mainly of amphibolite. Most of the nickel discovered to date is associated with younger, undeformed norite intrusions that are concentrated in the 15 km wide by 75 km long GNB.

NAN initiated a one-week field program in August 2011 to confirm and sample known showings, locate significant historical drill holes and check targets identified from compilation of historical data. Based on the results of the field work and data compilation helicopter-borne TEM surveys were initiated in two priority areas and completed in early October of 2011.

A total of twenty-five priority targets were identified in the two surveyed areas. In terms of priority, seven are ranked as high, seven medium and eleven as low. Two of three high priority targets had been adequately drill tested but Imiak Hill (EM target B1-J) appeared to have potential for the mineralization to continue at depth.

The Imiak Hill showing was discovered by a company called Kryolitselskabet Øresund A/S (KØ) in the early 1960's. KØ drilled thirteen holes into the showing and many of them intersected Ni sulphide mineralization but, with the notable exception of hole Im-9, the mineralization was sporadic and it was not possible to follow it more than 60 m below surface.

Based on NAN's new helicopter-borne EM surveys the orientation of the defined anomalies was determined to be at near right angles to KO’s interpretation and on this basis new drilling was undertaken. The results of the drilling, combined with the Bore Hole EM and historical drilling indicate the mineralization (Figure 4) strikes north northwest and dips vertically to steeply east, plunges to the south and is open at depth

Significant assays from drill core are summarized in Table 1. Figure 2 (see above in overview) shows the drill hole locations and Figure 6 shows a surface plan of the drill holes.

Table 1: Significant 2012 Intersections at Imiak Hill.

Spotty Hill is a historical showing consisting of disseminated sulphide mineralization hosted in norite and exposed on surface over an area approximately 250 by 100 m. KØ drilled five shallow (<60 m long) holes in a range of orientations to test the showing. All the holes intersected disseminated sulphides and the best historic intersection was 12.94 m @ 0.52% Ni and 0.26% Cu.

In 2012, NAN’s VTEM survey detected a strong conductor along the southwest edge of the showing. Maxwell modeling of the conductor in three-dimensions indicated it was pipe-like with a near vertical dip. The top of the conductor was interpreted to be 30 to 50 m below surface. The highlights from Spotty Hill discovery hole MQ-12-005 (Figure 7) are summarized in Table 2 and indicate significant nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metal contents within disseminated to near solid sulphide mineralization. The mineralization has high Ni tenor averaging 9.0% Ni when recalculated to 100% sulphide and is likely to produce a clean concentrate. The high-grade mineralization remains open down-dip and to the southeast (Figure 8).

Table 2: Significant 2012 Intersections at Spotty Hill

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  Figure 6: Imiak Hill Drill Plan Map. NAN holes are coloured according to lithology and historical holes are shown as thin black lines.

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  Figure 7: Surface plan map of Spotty Hill. Maxwell model conductor plates are projected to surface.

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  Figure 8: Cross section through Spotty Hill hole MQ-12-005 showing mineralized intervals and Maxwell modeled conductor plates projected onto the plane of the section.

Recent metallurgical tests on mineralization from Imiak Hill and Spotty Hill was performed by SGS Canada Inc. (Lakefield) using their QEMSCAN (Quantitative Evaluation of Materials by Scanning Electron Microscopy) system. This method assesses mineralogical variability based on chemistry and provides information on mineral speciation, modal abundance and elemental deportment. Mineral texture information such as grain size and shape, mineral liberation and association, porosity and density can also be captured and provide a sound basis for metallurgical considerations of the style of mineralzation.

Two core samples from Imiak Hill and one from Spotty Hill were submitted to SGS for QEMSCAN analysis. Although complete data has yet to be received the presence of medium- to coarse grained pentlandite in two of three samples has been confirmed. The Imiak Hill samples indicate the presence of up to 15% medium- to coarse-grained pentlandite and large amounts of chalcopyrite. Pentlandite occurs as exsolution flames in pyrrhotite in the Spotty Hill sample.

Maniitsoq 2012 Drill Results

The discovery of high grades of Ni, Cu, Co and PGM/Au in long drill intersections confirms the potential for additional nickel-copper-platinum group metal discoveries on the district-scale property at Maniitsoq. With PGMs added to the high grade Ni mineralization mix at Spotty Hill and the high grade nickel-copper mineralization at Imiak Hill, it can be said that the re-interpretation of historical results and the use of modern geophysical techniques has helped confirm the property’s potential to host additional significant nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metal deposits.

Recent modeling of the conductive zones on the Maniitsoq property has defined two targets with exceptionally high conductance values. These include the down-plunge extent of the Imiak Hill mineralization (Figure 9) and new target P-63, situated 10 km from tidewater. Target P-63 (Figure 10) is norite-hosted and is marked by a high calculated conductivity thickness that is greater than both Imiak Hill and Spotty Hill. Modeling indicates the EM conductor is 73 m below surface, is 14 m thick, has a strike length of 58 m and dips to the northwest for 1057 m.

Future exploration will be based on additional modeling of geophysical surveys at Imiak Hill, Spotty Hill and conductor P-63. All three targets will be tested by a 3000 m drill program planned for 2013.

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  Figure 9: Longitudinal section along Imiak Hill conductor trend looking west. Note intersection lengths are core lengths, not true width.

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  Figure 10: P-63 anomaly at Imiak Hill.