To: Big Shorty who wrote (5713 ) 1/2/2002 6:16:15 PM From: Al Collard Respond to of 11802 NVE-v ...in the news:NovaWest receives assey report on Nickel Royale project Wed 2 Jan 2002 News Release Mr. Frank Puskas reports NICKEL ROYALE PROJECT - FIELD REPORT SAMPLES YIELD UP TO 6.2 ... NovaWest Resources has released the results of the preliminary exploration investigations on the company's Nickel Royale property and extensions (100 per cent interest owned by Novawest) located in the Hemlo-Schreiber camp, west of Thunder Bay, Ont. Dr. Peter Fischer's field results and related chemical analyses appear to justify Novawest's initial optimism (news in Stockwatch, Oct. 11, 2001). The more centrally located Nickel Royale property was geologized and the trenched body of known mineralization, 10 feet thick and at least 300 feet in strike length, was resampled in detail. Analytically (refer to table herein) the massive sulphides contain nickel (Ni) up to 6.32 per cent, copper (Cu) up to 2.48 per cent, cobalt (Co) up to 3,450 parts per million, silver (Ag) up to 6.8 parts per million (0.2 ounces per tonne), palladium plus platium plus gold (Pd+Pt+Au) up to 0.84 gram per tonne. Positive bismuth (Bi) and tellurium (Te) anomalies are associated with the higher Ni grades. The company is further encouraged because of the known affinity of tellurium and bismuth with PGMs (platinum-palladium group minerals) in known notable deposits such as the Raglan in Northern Quebec. Sample Cu% Ni% Co Au No. (ppm)(ppb) P163711 1.63 1.72 440 22 P163712 2.48 2.59 462 18 P163713 0.35 2.54 483 8 P163714 0.15 6.23 1,167 29 P163715 1.29 2.32 1,023 46 P163716 1.33 0.14 179 34 P163721 0.13 0.52 133 15 P163723 0.78 1.63 493 34 P163726 2.10 0.18 1,963 38 P163728 0.67 1.36 2,643 4 P163729 2.29 1.88 3,450 66 P163730 0.66 1.55 803 26 P163732 1.30 2.00 983 42 P163744** 0.39 2.72 509 19 P163747 0.22 1.00 245 20 P163748 0.73 4.98 997 80 P163749 0.53 4.76 1,035 30 P163750 1.03 4.26 826 67 ** Denotes the newly discovered body Sample Pd Pt Pd+Pt+Au No. (ppb) (ppb) (ppb) P163711 492 84 608 P163712 292 78 388 P163713 166 28 202 P163714 342 54 425 P163715 256 108 410 P163716 66 32 132 P163721 76 23 114 P163723 258 68 360 P163726 72 100 210 P163728 34 48 86 P163729 70 306 442 P163730 66 26 1l8 P163732 360 72 474 P163744** 97 11 127 P163747 84 28 132 P163748 560 120 760 P163749 509 299 838 P163750 500 144 711 ** Denotes the newly discovered body Results of relevance to the pending Stage 2 follow-up program include the following: 1. The sulphides exhibit textures previously identified in ore bodies determined to have undergone extensive remobilization and relocation of the sulphides. The remobilization of the precursor sulphides probably explains the origin of the mineralized granite footwall and further legitimizes the exploration merits of the untested footwall magnetic/electromagnetic anomalies extending both northeast and southwest of the trenched sulphides. 2. The precursor intrusive has now been identified as phase layered, involving pyroxenites-melagabbros, with topping to the south. Numerous features point to a post-Archean age of emplacement. 3. A new body of sulphides, 10 to 15 metres thick and 100 metres long, was uncovered 15 metres south of the known body. The new body assayed (sample 163744) up to 2.72 per cent nickel, 0.39 per cent copper and 509 parts per million cobalt. The massive sulphides exhibit a nickel/copper ratio of approximately 3:1 with facies ranging from 40:1 to 1:10. The dominant palladium/platinum ratio is 4:1 with facies ranging from 1:4 to 9:1. The presumed extension 12 kilometres to the east, on the company's Shaboom property, 44 claim units (1,760 acres) in size, is presently characterized by sulphide veining of chalcopyrite with associated pyrrhotite and pyrite. Grab samples from across the full length of the existing 47-foot long trench (claim 1167238) yielded copper up to 0.024 per cent and gold up to 380 parts per billion and silver up to 1.2 ounces per tonne. The nickel/copper ratios are low, from 1:10 to 1:150; the gold/silver ratios are low at 1:100. The presumed extension 12 kilometres to the west, on the company's FourSox property, underwent a cursory sampling of the semi-massive sulphides located in pits within the east-west trending gabbroic unit in volcanics. The mineralization yielded nickel plus copper up to 0.23 per cent, with nickel/copper ratios of 1:1, and palladium plus platinum up to 168 parts per billion (palladium/platinum ratios of 2-8:1). The mineralization does appear to have been sourced from a sulphide-bearing mafic to ultramafic, presently assumed to be the western extension of the central Nickel Royale. All samples underwent multielement geochemical analysis using ICP-OES finish preceded by acqua regia extraction at Activation Laboratories Ltd., accredited by SCC to ISO/IEC. Gold, palladium, and platinum determinations involved the fire-assay-ICP-OES method of analysis. The assemblage is located in the Hemlo-Schrieber camp west of Thunder Bay, Ont., and encompasses a total of 152 adjoining claim units totaling 6,080 acres that strategically straddle the Hemlo-Schrieber greenstone belt to the west and east of the initial Nickel Royale property. This belt contains the Marathon deposit (34 metric tonnes copper, nickel and platium-palladium group metals) to the east, and the Nipigon plate being investigated by others to the west. The belt, traditionally known for its VMS potential and the renown Hemlo gold deposits, appears to be evolving into an important locus for polymetallic sulphides rich in copper, nickel and platium-palladium group metals. Novawest's Assemblage (100 per cent owned) is easily accessible by road and lies nine miles west of the town of Schreiber, and is in close proximity (IO kilometres) to the Winston Lake polymetallic VMS mine (Inmet Mining). The company has now prioritized the Nickel Royale assemblage and is now planning for follow-up exploration, which is expected to include geophysics and diamond drilling. The company will most likely be seeking a joint venture partner for the project.