nepean nickel mine, page-2

Right on Stingemore, toll treating Nepean ore would be very nice for BHP, but not very advantageous to Focus. BHP would get the cobalt and platinums for free. I predict that FML will look at treating their own ore, once the economics of nickel make this viable. I suspect that FML are quietly investigating alternate metallurgical processes that would allow cost effective treatment of ore, and allow FML to get the cobalt and Platinums as well as the nickel, and possibly some gold. We are fortunate that FML do not need to get Nepean operational to generate cash flow, and can patiently prepare to mine Nepean by increasing reserves and resources by drilling, and formulate a treatment method that allows FML to get ALL the goodies from Nepean. Old timers who worked Nepean tell of gold from this mine too, most of which came out of the mine in miners' lunch boxes! Rumours only, however the co- occurence of gold with nickel is quite common in the Kambalda Widgiemooltha area.
Platinums are tipped by many to rise in price. A significant percentage of world wide Pt production is a by product of nickel sulfide mining.
IMHO, Pattersons' valuation of FML's nickel assets at $20 million is conservative in the extreme.
As Choo said, Nickel is the icing on the cake, however I see the cobalt and platinums as the cherries on that icing!
DYOR,
K