SPC Nickel Appoints Dr. Mark Bennett as Strategic Advisor

SUDBURY, ON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SPC Nickel Corp. (TSXV: SPC) ("SPC Nickel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark Bennett as a Strategic Advisor to the Company.

Dr. Bennett is one of the most accomplished exploration geologists of his generation, with over 40 years of experience spanning mineral discovery, mine development, and senior executive and board roles across Australia, Canada, West Africa, Europe, and the United States. He is best known as the founding CEO and Managing Director of Sirius Resources, where he led the 2012 discovery of the Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper-cobalt deposit in Western Australia and guided the company through feasibility, financing, permitting, and construction commencement in under three years. Sirius Resources was subsequently acquired by Independence Group (now IGO Ltd., ASX: IGO) in 2015 for AUD $1.8 billion.

Grant Mourre, President and CEO of SPC Nickel, commented, "Bringing Mark on board is a meaningful step forward for SPC Nickel. His expertise in magmatic nickel sulphide systems is directly relevant to our targeting at Muskox, and his ability to recognise and advance world-class deposits will provide an invaluable contribution to our exploration strategy. Beyond his technical credentials, Mark's capital markets relationships and standing in the global mining community reflect the high regard in which he is held across this industry. We are proud to welcome a geologist and mine-finder of Mark's stature to the SPC team and look forward to incorporating his experienced perspective as we advance our field programs at our 100%-owned Muskox Project in Nunavut."

Dr. Mark Bennett commented, "I am excited to be joining the SPC Nickel team as a Strategic Advisor at this pivotal stage in the Company's development. The Muskox Intrusion is a genuinely compelling target - the geological setting, the scale of the land package, and the work undertaken to date all point to a system with real discovery potential. I look forward to contributing to the advancement of this exceptional project."

Over the course of his career, Dr. Bennett was also involved in the early-stage exploration of the Wahgnion gold mine in Burkina Faso, played an instrumental role in the discovery of the Thunderbox gold mine and the Waterloo nickel mine in Australia, and has been directly involved in raising over $1 billion in equity and debt financing for exploration and development projects. Dr. Bennett has won the Australian Mining and Exploration Companies' Prospector Award twice (2002 for the discovery of the Thunderbox gold mine and the Waterloo nickel mine; 2013 for the discovery of the Nova-Bollinger nickel-copper deposits) and in 2014 was named a Legend in Mining at the International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne. Dr. Bennett currently serves as Executive Chair of S2 Resources (ASX: S2R), Non-Executive Chair of Falcon Metals (ASX: FAL) and Non-Executive Director of Valkea Resources (TSX-V: OZ).

In connection with this appointment, the Company has granted 200,000 stock options to Dr. Bennett, with all such stock options vesting immediately and each stock option entitling Dr. Bennett to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.085 until June 15, 2031.

About the Muskox Intrusion

Originally discovered in the 1950s by Inco, SPC Nickel's Muskox Project, located in Nunavut, Canada, represents one of the most prospective greenfield polymetallic copper, nickel, and PGM projects globally. The district-scale land package (496 km²) covers the majority of the Muskox Intrusion, a large, layered mafic-ultramafic body with striking geological similarities to some of the world's most significant copper-nickel-PGM deposits, such as the massive Norilsk-Talnakh deposit.

The Muskox Intrusion is one of the largest and least deformed layered mafic to ultramafic bodies in the world. It was emplaced during a large magmatic event (Mackenzie Magmatic Event) in the Proterozoic by mantle plume volcanism related to the widespread Coppermine River Group flood basalts. The intrusion is broadly composed of two distinct, but related, components called the Main Muskox Intrusion and the Feeder Dyke, which combined are exposed over a length of 125 km, and range in width from 200-600 metres in the Feeder Dyke to 11 km in the Main Body of the intrusion.

Previous exploration programs completed on SPC Nickel property over a roughly 60-year period identified widespread high-grade polymetallic sulphide mineralization along the basal contact of the intrusion or in the adjacent footwall, similar to the Sudbury and Norilsk-Talnakh camps. Historical drill highlights from the Muskox Project include:

• 7.50 metres @ 6.14% Cu, 2.76% Ni and 9.06 g/t PGM (Pt+Pd+Au)¹ by Silvermet Corporation (2007) and
• 13.74 metres @ 5.04% Cu, 2.21% Ni and 5.63 g/t PGM² by Equinox Resources Ltd. (1987).

These results, combined with an extensive footprint of magmatic sulphide mineralization, historical high grade drill intercepts, untested geophysical targets and limited modern follow-up, underscore the Project's discovery potential.

Length refers to downhole length. Insufficient work has been completed to assess true thickness.

Reference

Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Qualified Persons

The technical elements of this news release have been approved by Mr. Grant Mourre, P.Geo. (PGO), CEO and President of SPC Nickel Corp. and a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.

The historical information shown in this news release was obtained from historical work reports filed by Equinox Resources Ltd. and Silvermet Corporation and has not been independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About SPC Nickel Corp.

SPC Nickel Corp. is a Canadian public corporation advancing high-potential Cu-Ni-PGM projects in Tier-1 jurisdictions across Canada. The Company's principal assets are its district-scale Muskox Project in Nunavut and the Lockerby East Project in the Sudbury Mining Camp, which includes the West Graham Resource and the LKE Resource.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Information

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as "plans", "proposes", "estimates", "intends", "expects", "believes", "may", "will" and include without limitation, statements regarding estimated capital and operating costs, expected production timeline, benefits of updated development plans, foreign exchange assumptions and regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, metal prices, competition, risks inherent in the mining industry, and regulatory risks. Most of these factors are outside the control of SPC Nickel. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, SPC Nickel expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. 

Further information is available at www.spcnickel.com and/or by contacting: Grant Mourre P.Geo., Chief Executive Officer, SPC Nickel Corp., Tel: (705) 669-1777, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE SPC Nickel Corp.