First Nickel Inc. announced that the board of directors has approved an increase in the 2012 exploration budget from $1.9 million to $3.4 million for work being conducted in 2012. The 2012 program has been designed with the objective of expanding the resource base within an under explored area near the Lockerby Mine and testing priority regional targets on the Southeastern Ontario properties. The 2012 surface exploration programs consist of the following: 5,000 metres of surface drilling on the Link zone; 3,000 metres of surface drilling on the Belmont Project; and 3,000 metres of surface drilling on the Raglan Hill Project. Drilling in Sudbury will focus on the Link zone with the objective of expanding upon the known intersections of mineralization down plunge of the Conwest Deposit. Surface drilling will explore for higher grade trends and improve the company's understanding of the mineralization associated within the area. The target area was broadly drilled by the company in 2008 and reported intersections of 1.82% Ni over 2.6 metres in FNI4002 and 1.33% Ni over 10.4 metres in FNI4003. Drilling began in February, 2012 on the Southeastern Ontario projects and focuses on systematically testing high priority airborne geophysical anomalies on the Belmont project. Work on the Raglan Hills project includes more detailed drilling on the ML North PGE zone, discovered in 2009 with reported intersections of 0.762 grams per tonne (gpt) Pt and 1.216 gpt Pd over 5.05 metres in FNB009 and 0.659 gpt Pt and 1.052 gpt Pd in FNB010. Drilling will also test the eastern portion of the Henderson property targeting an ultramafic body with anomalous nickel and copper mineralization in an ultramafic body with an associated magnetic high and coincident, 700 metres long, VTEM electromagnetic anomaly. As a standard practice, selected diamond drill holes will be tested using the latest in borehole geophysical techniques. Field mapping and sampling programs will be completed on the Southeastern Ontario projects during the summer. The company continues to review a number of potential opportunities and seeks to add to the company's base metal portfolio through acquisitions of promising exploration properties and operating mines.