Premium Nickel Resources Ltd. announced the phase two results of metallurgical testing of the company's nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum-group elements (Ni-Cu-Co-PGE) Selkirk project and the nickel, copper, cobalt Selebi project, both of which are located in Botswana. The Selkirk Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposit, located 75 kilometres north of PNRL's flagship Selebi Mine in Botswana, is a near surface deposit that has been extensively drilled by previous operators. Initial metallurgical test work carried out in 2021 by PNRL at SGS Canada in Lakefield, Ontario demonstrated that it was possible to produce separate nickel and copper grades at acceptable recoveries.

To enhance recoveries, PNRL has been exploring alternate processing options for both the Selebi and Selkirk mines, including producing a lower grade nickel concentrate suitable for hydrometallurgical processing. Given the disseminated nature of the Ni-Cu-Co-PGE mineralization at Selkirk, a processing flowsheet designed to maximize Ni-Cu-Co-PGE recovery via a bulk flotation concentrate is being evaluated. This could add optionality for saleable products, which could include a separate Cu concentrate and a separate Ni-Cu-Co-PGE concentrate, to be further refined by hydrometallurgical processing.

Detailed Platsol Testing: In late 2023 and early 2024, PNRL completed phase 1 scoping level laboratory tests at SGS Canada in Lakefield, Ontario, investigating the application of the Platsol hydrometallurgical technology on the Selebi and Selkirk concentrates, in particular the Selkirk concentrates, which contain potentially valuable levels of PGEs. The Platsol process is a high-temperature, chloride-assisted pressure leaching process developed at SGS Canada to simultaneously extract both base metals and precious group metals as soluble chloro-complexes into the autoclave leach solution. Previous work with Platsol has demonstrated that of all the many PGE minerals found in nature, only the sperrylite family of minerals respond poorly to Platsol.

Since only minimal sperrylite was found in the Selkirk nickel concentrate and none in the Selebi Ni concentrate, these concentrates are expected to respond well to Platsol, provided the PGE minerals are well exposed.