Metallurgy is called "the back end of the business". It is not the sexy end but perhaps the most critical aspect of a junior wannabe discovery. Please let me give you an example. Niccolite frequesntly comes with astounding grades. While companies with massive sulphide deposits dream about a 2-3 or more percent stand alone nickel discovery, niccolite comes with grades of up to 40% or more. The problem is that the nickel deposit in niccolite has an unwanted ingredient in the host rock. All niccolite is infected [good word] with very high amounts of arsenic in the rock. So from a metallurgical aspect, the discovery is useless. If ever a hot shot in the back end of the business can come up with a process to safely get rid of the arsenic, then you can virtually kiss goodby almost all of the companies that have their 1-2-3+% nickle deposits in massive sulphides.

These are not my words guys/gals. As you know I have already confessed that I don't know much about the industry at large but the above paragraph comes from a retired chemist in the industry. There are relatively few people that are in the metallurgical world COMPARED with the total amount of people in the rest of the industry and they for the most part all know one another or at least the reputation of a fellow chemist/metallurgist.

So far from what I understand, we do not have any unwanted by-products/ingredients or at least to the degree that the above example gives. Everything in the host rock that is not wanted or needed will cost the company or buy out company money to remove. Metallurgy is always a critical aspect.

Best wishes,

Jerry Francis