Quebec Nickel Corp. reported drill assay results from the Ducros Sill target at its Ducros Ni-Co-Cu-PGE project, located 85 kilometers northeast of Val-d’Or, Québec. Hole QDG-23-503 was collared on the west side of the targeted magnetic high and was drilled eastward at a dip of -45°, towards the centre of the ultramafic intrusion (Figure 2).

The hole encountered a package of intercalated mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks, including gabbro, pyroxenite, peridotite and dunite, from 23.00 to 308.00 metres downhole depth before cutting a 142-metre-long interval of serpentinized dunite, believed to be the same unit encountered in Abitibi hole 87-6. The hole was terminated in this lower dunite unit until the planned end of hole of 450 metres depth. Assay results returned 0.19% Ni + 111 ppm Co over the last 217 metres of the hole (233.00-450.00 m depth) including a higher-grade subinterval of 118.30 metres @ 0.21% Ni + 117 ppm Co (308.20-426.50 m depth). Hole QDG-23-505 was collared approximately 210 metres east of QDG-23-503 and drilled towards the east at a -45° dip to the planned end of hole depth of 402 metres .

The hole collared in variably serpentinized dunite at 21.00 metres hole depth and remained in the altered ultramafic unit until 314.00 metres, a 293-metre-long intersection, where it encountered metasedimentary footwall rocks. Assay results for this hole returned a 293-metre-long intersection of 0.19% Ni + 106 ppm Co (21.00- 314.00 m) including a higher-grade subinterval of 0.21% Ni + 114 ppm Co over 152 metres (79.50-231.50 m). Hole QDG-23-504 was collared approximately 210 metres east of QDG-23-505 and was also drilled towards the east at a -45° dip to a depth of 243 metres (Figure 2, 3).

This hole collared in variably serpentinized dunite until 117.00 metres downhole, after which it entered the package of metasedimentary footwall rocks. Assay results from this hole returned 109.50 metres @ 0.16% Ni + 90 ppm Co (21.00-130.50 m) including a higher-grade subinterval of 0.20% Ni + 105 ppm Co over 29 metres near surface (21.00-50.00 m hole depth). Hole QDG-23-506 was collared approximately one kilometer north of the three-hole fence noted above to test the interpreted strike extension of the Ducros Sill ultramafic intrusion.

This interpretation is based on the continuity of the airborne magnetic high feature identified by the 2022 VTEMâ„¢ survey as well as the lone historical hole completed by Abitibi in the immediate area. After passing through overburden, hole QDG-23-506 collared in variably serpentinized dunite at 30.00 metres hole depth and finished in the same dunite unit at 366.00 metres. The hole was terminated earlier than planned due to the onset of spring breakup.

Assays are pending for this hole, but the results are expected to be in line with those returned from QDG-23-503 through QDG-23-505.