Canada Nickel Closes Previously Announced US$10 Million Loan Facility with Auramet International, Inc.

TORONTO, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel" or the "Company") (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) today announced that it has closed a secured loan facility with Auramet International, Inc. ("Auramet") of US$10 million previously announced on September 29, 2022. The proceeds will allow the Company to execute post feasibility study work on permitting and detailed engineering which is advantageous to complete during the coming winter months and allows the Company to remain well-funded as it continues to aggressively advance the project.

The loan will be due January 18, 2023, will carry an interest rate of 1.00% per month, and be subject to a 2% arrangement fee. At closing, Auramet will also receive 325,000 1-year warrants with a strike price of $1.52 per share. The loan will be subject to such terms and conditions including certain specified positive and negative covenants that are customary for a transaction of this nature. The warrants and the underlying shares will be subject to a four month hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws. 

Auramet is one of the largest physical precious metals merchants in the world with over $20 billion in annual revenues and provides a full range of services to all participants in the precious metals chain, from extraction and production to manufacturing and consumption. Auramet is a private company established in 2004 by a team who had worked previously together since 1989. Their business is comprised of three main activities: physical metals trading, metals merchant banking and advisory. Auramet has built a consistently successful and prominent franchise in the metals space on the back of an experienced management team that has proven to be innovative and capable of delivering the highest quality service to participants in the sector.  Auramet purchases tens of millions of ounces of gold, silver and PGMs sourced from a diversified base of mining companies, recycling companies and refineries/smelters.  Auramet has also provided term financing facilities in excess of $950 million to date in the mining sector and is looking to grow its capital investment business in the precious metals and battery-related metals mining space.  In 2022, Auramet received a Gold Metal Sustainability Rating from Ecovadis, a global leader in business sustainability ratings.

Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-sulphide projects to deliver nickel required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets. Canada Nickel Company has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero Nickel^TM, NetZero Cobalt^TM, NetZero Iron^TM and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel, cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel in low political risk jurisdictions. Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp. For more information, please visit www.canadanickel.com.

For further information, please contact:

Mark Selby
Chair and CEO
Phone: 647-256-1954
Email: [email protected]

This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation.  Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, drill and exploration results relating to the target properties described herein (the "Properties"), the potential of the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project and the Properties, timing of economic studies and mineral resource estimates, the ability to sell marketable materials, strategic plans, including future exploration and development results, and corporate and technical objectives.  Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.  Factors that could affect the outcome include, among  others:  future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, the results of drilling, inability to raise  the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property, environmental liabilities  (known  and  unknown), general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, results of  exploration programs, risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain  regulatory or shareholder approvals, and the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions in relation to the Company's  business operations including upon its employees, suppliers, facilities and other stakeholders.  There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.  All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof.  Canada Nickel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

SOURCE Canada Nickel Company Inc.