Alaska Energy Metals Advances Exploration Drilling at Nikolai Project
Looking southeast from the Richardson Highway, the Canwell claim block contains various prospect locations. Alaska Energy Metals says high-grade massive nickel-copper sulfides enriched in platinum group elements are present at several of these prospects.
Photo Credit: Alaska Energy Metals
Alaska Energy Metals has begun a drilling program to test geological, geophysical, and geochemical targets at the Canwell block of claims that form part of the company’s Nikolai nickel project along the Richardson Highway. The Canwell prospects are located near the company’s Nikolai project Eureka deposit, which represents a large accumulation of nickel with copper, cobalt, chrome, iron, platinum, palladium and gold.
2023 Samples Show Significant Promise
Following up on chemical and geophysical testing in the area last year, the drilling program includes plans for three holes for a total of 1,200 meters. Additionally, Alaska Energy Metals plans to initiate bench-scale metallurgical testing on the EZ2 mineralization at its Eureka deposit.
Featured targets at Canwell include the Odie, Emerick, and Upper Canwell prospects. At the Odie and Upper Canwell locations, Alaska Energy Metals previously collected samples of high-grade nickel-copper-iron sulfide mineralization in local, surface talus and outcrop. The surface samples of massive sulfides are enriched with platinum-group metals. Controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) and electromagnetic geophysical surveys conducted in 2023 identified strong low resistivity and conductive zones immediately beneath the high-grade surface massive sulfide occurrences at all three of the prospects.
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January 2026
Pinpointing Drill Sites
Alaska Energy Metals announced geochemical and geophysical results for the Canwell claim block earlier this year, in advance of planning the drill program. The company believes that the conductive zone and magnetic response is caused by nickel-copper sulfides in the subsurface. CSAMT results clearly identified the limits of the ultramafic rocks that host massive sulfides at surface. One drill hole is planned at each of the targets to test for sulfide mineralization and to validate the geophysical, geological, and geochemical data, as shown on its Canwell claim block map. Also depicted is a cross-section through the Odie prospect showing the surface sulfide occurrence and the low resistivity and conductive zone beneath it that the company intends to drill.
An overview map of the Canwell claim block shows surface sampling results, locations of historical drill holes, geophysical anomalies, and planned drill holes for 2024.
Photo Credit: Alaska Energy Metals
Boosting National Security Responsibly
Alaska Energy Metals is an Alaska-based corporation with offices in Anchorage and Vancouver working to sustainably deliver the critical materials needed for national security and a bright energy future, while generating shareholder returns.
An Odie Prospect cross-section shows controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics low-resistivity zones (bright yellow, red, pink, purple colors) and magnetic high (blue outline) below surface nickel-copper sulfide occurrences. It also shows historical hole CAN-DH-06 intersected nickel sulfide mineralization on the yellow-colored fringe of the conductor.
Photo Credit: Alaska Energy Metals
The company is focused on delineating and developing the large-scale, bulk tonnage, polymetallic Eureka deposit containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chromium, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located northwest of Paxson near existing transportation and power infrastructure, Alaska Energy Metals considers Nikolai (unrelated to the Western Interior village of Nikolai) to be its flagship project, well situated to become a significant domestic source of strategic energy-related metals for North America. The company also holds a secondary project, Angliers-Belleterre, in western Quebec.
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