Nord Mobilizes Crews for Pre-Production Tailings Site Development at Castle High-Grade Silver Mine
thenewswire.com
Seasonal production slated for 2026 following gravity-circuit commissioning.
June 16, 2025 – TheNewswire - Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. (TSX-V: NTH | OTCQB: CCWOF | FRANKFURT: 4T9B) ("Nord" or the "Company") is pleased to report that the Company has mobilised field crews and earth-moving equipment to its historic Castle Silver Mine tailings complex, thereby initiating the first phase of a staged plan to begin seasonal silver-dominant production in 2026. The work centres on pad preparation and road upgrades ahead of installing a gravity circuit that will recover silver along with cobalt, nickel and other critical metals from multiple legacy tailings deposits across the 63 km² property.
Management Commentary
Frank J. Basa, B. Eng., CEO, commented: “With a modular unit design, an 80-day permit window, and tailings grades that household-name mines would envy, the potential to generate cash flow becomes viable while erasing a century-old environmental liability. It’s mining in reverse, and our First Nations and local communities will see the benefits first.”
Key Highlights
- Site works: pads and access roads will be cleared at the Miller Creek tailings pad and the newly identified Castle West coarse-tailings pile, both within 400 m of the historic headframe.
- Proven grades: drill and metallurgical test work show to date: payable silver, as cobalt, copper, and nickel credits add further value.
- Low-carbon plant design: gravity modules arrive pre-assembled in ISO containers and sit on crushed-rock pads, no concrete, rebar or CO2-intensive foundations, allowing for reuse, removal and full reclamation once processing is complete.
- Fast-track permitting: Ontario's Ministry of Mines has invited Nord to file its 80-day Recovery Permit application under s. 152.1 of the Mining Act; submission is scheduled for after July 1, 2025. (See Nord’s June 2, 2025 news release for details on the Ontario Government’s new recovery permit application process).
- Commissioning timeline: on-site wet commissioning in Q3 and full seasonal processing from July 2026 onward (weather-dependent).
- ESG & First-Nations focus: the program will remove legacy tailings, proposed back-fill underground stopes with benign material, and establish long-term environmental monitoring and training roles in partnership with regional Indigenous communities.
Building on Nord's management established track record of sustainable development, this initiative represents the Company's most ambitious environmental remediation program to date, transforming century-old mining liabilities into both economic opportunity and ecological restoration.
Current sampling and metallurgical test work has been completed on the tailings (see Company news release September 16, 2024) and will continue during the tailing processing. Note that this decision to move forward with processing the tailings has not been based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Because a feasibility study hasn't been completed, there's a greater chance that the project might encounter unforeseen technical or economic challenges during the production process. This could include issues with the variability in grade within the tailings deposit, processing methods, or costs, which could impact the project's potential profitability.
Low-Cost, High-Impact Build
Nord will provide a technical update on metallurgical performance and circular-economy metrics in a separate release summarizing its presentation at the MICA Network Tailings Workshop on June 12, 2025.
About Nord's Processing Infrastructure
Nord operates the only permitted mineral processing and analytical facility in the Cobalt-Gowganda Camp through its Temiskaming Testing Labs (TTL) facility. The Company has invested significantly in gravity concentration equipment and metallurgical expertise, positioning it as the district's central processing hub for both newly mined material and historic tailings.
Qualified person
The technical information in this news release was approved and prepared under the supervision of Mr. Frank J. Basa, B.Eng., (PEO), director of Nord Precious Metals, a qualified person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101.
About Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc.
Nord Precious Metals Mining Inc. operates the only permitted high-grade milling facility in the historic Cobalt Camp of Ontario, where the Company has established a unique position integrating high-grade silver discovery with strategic metals recovery operations. The Company's flagship Castle property encompasses 63 sq. km of exploration ground and the past-producing Castle Mine, complemented by the Castle East discovery where drilling has delineated 7.56 million ounces of silver in Inferred resources grading an average of 8,582 g/t Ag (250.2 oz/ton) in 27,400 tonnes of material from two sections (1A and 1B) of the Castle East Robinson Zone, beginning at a vertical depth of approximately 400 meters. Note that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the Nord Precious Metals Press Release May 27, 2020, for the resource estimate.
Nord's integrated processing strategy leverages the synergistic value of multiple metals. High-grade silver recovery supports the economics of extracting critical minerals including cobalt, nickel, and other battery metals, while the Company's proprietary Re-2Ox hydrometallurgical process enables production of technical-grade cobalt sulphate and nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) formulations. This multi-metal approach, combined with established infrastructure including TTL Laboratories and underground mine access, positions Nord to capitalize on both precious metals markets and the growing demand for battery materials.
The Company maintains a strategic portfolio of battery metals properties in Northern Quebec through its 35% ownership in Coniagas Battery Metals Inc. (TSXV: COS) as well as the St. Denis-Sangster lithium project comprising 260 square kilometers of prospective ground near Cochrane, Ontario.
More information is available at www.nordpreciousmetals.com.
“Frank J. Basa”
Frank J. Basa, P. Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
For further information, contact:
Frank J. Basa, P.Eng.
Chief Executive Officer
416-625-2342
or:
Wayne Cheveldayoff,
Corporate Communications
P: 416-710-2410
E: waynecheveldayoff@gmail.com
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information in this news release or other communications unless required by law. |
