Fathom Nickel Inc. (CSE: FNI) (FSE: 6Q5) (OTCQB: FNICF)
Investment Considerations
- In December 2023, Fathom Nickel launched a non-brokered private placement to accredited investors for proceeds of C$4.5 million.
- In September 2023, Fathom drilled seven drillholes at the Gochager Lake project as a follow-up program to two drillholes drilled in February 2023; as of the end of 2023, Fathom drilled nine holes at the project amounting to ~2,800 meters.
- Fathom Nickel in June 2023 announced completion of a non-brokered private placement to accredited investors for proceeds of C$3 million.
- The company in June 2023 commenced geophysical survey programs at its Albert Lake and Gochager Lake nickel projects.
- Fathom Nickel in September 2022 entered an option agreement to acquire 100% of the Gochager Lake nickel project.
- The company went public in May 2021, listing on the Toronto-based Canadian Securities Exchange and later on the OTCQB Venture Exchange.
Fathom Nickel Inc. (CSE: FNI) (FSE: 6Q5) (OTCQB: FNICF) is a Canadian natural resource development and exploration company that targets high-grade nickel sulfide discoveries for use in the rapidly growing global electric vehicle (EV) market. The company has a portfolio of two high-quality exploration projects located in the prolific Trans Hudson Corridor in Saskatchewan.
Led by a management team with more than 100 years of combined mining and exploration experience, Fathom believes in a continuing bright outlook for nickel and its increasing use in the manufacturing of batteries needed for energy storage in the high-growth renewable energy and EV industries. The company’s modern approach to exploration has yielded significant new nickel discoveries.
Fathom is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.
Projects
The Albert Lake Project
The Albert Lake Project comprises 90,460 hectares of lands located in north-central Saskatchewan, with over 80,000 hectares currently unexplored. The project is host to the historic Rottenstone Mine, a high-grade, open pit nickel sulfide past producer that was active from 1965 to 1969 and yielded ~26,000 tonnes of 3.3% Ni, 1.8% Cu, and >9 g/t Pd-Pt+Au.
The geological setting of the Albert Lake Project is within the Trans Hudson Orogeny (Corridor), which is host to numerous world-class nickel mining camps including the Thompson Nickel Belt (currently operating with more than 5 billion pounds of nickel produced since 1959), Lynn Lake (past producer) and Raglan Nickel Belt (currently operating with more than 39,000 tons of nickel produced in 2020).
The project is fully permitted. Exploration plans for 2024 include drilling a high-priority target located approximately 2km south of the historic Rottenstone Mine along with drilling other high-priority targets. Additional soil geochemistry, surface geophysical programs and geological mapping and prospecting will be performed during the summer field season.
The Gochager Lake Project
The Gochager Lake Project in northern Saskatchewan, also in the prolific Trans Hudson Corridor, was recently expanded through the addition of the contiguous Watt’s Lake property and direct staking, bringing its total land area to 22,620 hectares.
The Gochager Lake property is host to a historic resource defined by drilling in 1966-1967 consisting of 4.2 M tons grading 0.29% Ni and 0.08% Cu. Recent drilling by Fathom has defined multiple very robust off-hole borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) responses in eight of nine holes drilled in 2023 and three historic drill holes probed. There is very strong evidence of multiple, high-grade nickel-copper-cobalt steeply oriented chutes within the historic Gochager Lake Deposit.
Prior to Fathom exploration in 2023 and since 1970, exploration at the property has been limited to small drill programs in 1989-1990 and 2018. Exploration plans for 2024 include expanded surface geophysical programs, drilling and continued BHEM surveys to expand tons and increase the grade of the historic Gochager Lake deposit. Summer exploration will consist of soil geochemistry, mapping, prospecting and additional surface geophysical programs focused on identifying other Gochager-like deposits within the current land package.
Market Opportunity
Nickel plays a crucial role in clean energy technologies, and that is expected to cause demand to well outstrip supply for the foreseeable future.
With an annual market value of around $35 billion, nickel demand is projected to rise due to its intensive use in lithium-ion batteries used to power EVs. However, new discoveries of nickel sulfide deposits (currently the most reliable source for battery-grade class 1 nickel) have been rare, which could constrain class 1 nickel supply in the coming years.
According to Deloitte’s global EV forecast, total EV sales will grow from 2.5 million in 2020 to 11.2 million in 2025, reaching 31.1 million by 2030 and representing approximately 32% of the total market share for new car sales. Over the next 10 years, the EV market is projected to see a CAGR of 29%, with increased demand for nickel expected to be comparable.
Management Team
Fathom Nickel has assembled a best-in-class leadership team consisting of highly qualified industry professionals with deep knowledge and understanding of the mineral exploration industry and capital markets.
Ian Fraser, P.Geo., is CEO, VP Exploration and Co-Founder of Fathom Nickel. He has more than 35 years of experience in mineral exploration, as well as managing and implementing exploration projects in Canada and internationally. His experience includes resource interpretation and development of the Casa Berardi Gold Mine and Komis Gold Mine, as well as the Cisneros Gold Mine in Colombia.
Doug Porter, CPA, CA, CBV, is President, CFO and Director of Fathom Nickel. He is a senior financial and accounting executive with specific emphasis in resource company management. His career includes positions with Elan Coal Ltd., Altitude Resources Ltd. and StimWrx Oilfield Services Ltd.
