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OPERATIONAL REVIEW
DIGGeRs & DeALeRs PReVIeW MACA.NET.AU

come back to normalcy exploration ambitions
when the borders all at its flagship Pulju pro-
open, China gets back ject.
to normal…you would Nordic managing di-
think it has to get bet- rector Todd Ross said
ter,” he said. while drill rigs were at
Bradford was less somewhat of a premi-
optimistic and suggest- um in Finland, he was
ed the industry needed confident the company
to brace itself for higher had struck up enough
costs for a much longer contacts and partner-
period. ships in country to
“It’s really hard to avoid encountering any
see how we reset back unexpected cost pres-
to an old normal and I sures in the foresee-
think we’re just going able future.
to be looking at a new “We haven’t spent
normal going forward any of that [IPO] money
on costs,” he said. yet, but we are fortu-
“We take a more sim- nate in that we had al-
ple approach. Whatev- ready developed some
er costs we’re getting, key in-country partner-
we escalate those go- Peter Bradford and Victor Rajasooriar ships with groups like
ing forward.” “There’s more than enough drill rigs in Magnus Minerals who
Concerns over inflation, rising costs and WA, there just wasn’t enough drillers to are a geological consultancy firm and they
staffing up projects are not as marked for operate them but maybe, just maybe, that’s have a team of geologists within country,”
nickel explorers such as Azure Minerals starting to turn around now with more peo- Ross said.
Ltd, according to the company’s managing ple coming back into WA to fill those vacan- “We’re up in the Central Lapland green-
director Tony Rovira. cies,” he said. stone belt in northern Finland and drill rigs
“Azure is a little bit fortunate in that we “The laboratories, well, our eight-week are at a premium, it’s difficult to get hold of
acquired the Andover one. Again, we’re fortu-
nickel project in mid- nate that we were able
2020, which was prior to do a deal with Kati
to the rush on getting Drilling, which is a large
projects, and we were drilling contracting firm
able to staff up the in Finland, and we’ve
company almost fully secured a drill rig which
in the few months after has now been deliv-
that in advance of the ered and will be avail-
rush on people,” Rovira able to us for our entire
said. drilling campaign.
“We were actually “We’ve got an ex-
able to get a really good clusive use of that drill
crew of people hired rig for three years and
into the company prior we’ll be drilling at the
to there being a skill beginning of next year.
shortage and the need If we get into a situation
for a lot more people, where we need to get
so that set us up really another drill rig there,
well. Having said that, then we’ll deal with that
obviously to keep peo- turnaround has gone out to 12 weeks now. Tony Rovira but it will be a nice prob-
ple we need to look after them financially, Whether it’s just because there’s a whole lem to have. So, the
which we hope that we do. lot more people taking samples and send- plan is really to be able
“The main issue for us at the moment is ing them to the lab or just the shortage of to activate that drilling programme as quick-
consultants…we’re in the middle of a scop- people at the laboratories…that turnaround ly as possible, but I think we’re fortunate
ing study on the Andover project and just time is proving to be quite a challenge for enough that we’ve got those partnerships
finding consultants to be able to do the all of us.” already that will help us over that process.”
work and to be able to do it in a timely fash- Finnish explorer Nordic Nickel Ltd is the
ion – and to be able to do it at a reasonable newest nickel company on the block, hav- – Michael Washbourne
cost – is quite difficult.” ing officially joined the ASX the day after
While Rovira can see improvements on the Paydirt Unlocked event. With $12 mil- Watch the full replay on Paydirt TV
the horizon for the squeeze on available lion in the bank from the IPO, the company
drillers, he bemoaned the increasing turna- appears well-funded to complete initial
round time for assays.
australiannickelconference.com

Page 114 JULY 2022 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT