The rising demand for nickel production , with its associated high commodity prices, has spawned new approaches to nickel production. Historically, most sulfide nickel ore bodies are mined underground at relatively low production rates and with mining costs that can approach $20 per ton, or even more. The current lack of high grade nickel sulfide exploration targets has more recently shifted attention to laterite nickel deposits, which can be mined at low cost using modern mining and process methods that recover ore at grades well below those that had traditionally been exploited. These new methods are changing the way large mining companies and knowledgeable investors are looking at mineral properties.

The trend began in the 1960's with copper projects going from smaller underground operations, often with grades exceeding 2% to larger low grade projects with

grades that could be less than 0.5%. By the 1970's the bulk mining of other low grade metals was advancing, most notably gold using new hydrometallurgical techniques at grades well below those that had traditionally been exploited. It may now be nickel's turn to benefit from this approach. Historically most sulfide nickel ore bodies have had grades of 1% to 2% Ni, mined underground at relatively low production rates and with high operating costs. Laterite nickel deposits can be bulk mined, but the nickel can't be concentrated, so that both capital and operating costs are typically higher than sulfide projects. As a result major mining companies are not necessarily looking for high grades, but rather for large tonnage potential that can be shown to be economically attractive. One example of low grade sulphide nickel deposits is Hard Creek Nickel Corporation's (HNC) 100% owned Turnagain Project located near Dease Lake , BC , Canada . Turnagain's nickel grades, low by traditional standards, show exciting potential if treated with newly developed process technology, and a bulk tonnage open pit mining approach. At Turnagain, early stage process studies carried out by several independent and well recognized mineral industry testing laboratories suggest that there are promising opportunities to recover metal on site, at a high production rate, for an excellent financial return on the necessary capital investment for equipment, steel, cement, energy, labor and other costs, while nickel is priced at historical levels.

In a Preliminary Assessment recently prepared by AMEC Americas Limited (AMEC), one of the top three international mine engineering design firms, a 50,000 tonne per day milling operation by Hard Creek Nickel at Turnagain is modeled with a 17 year mine life that is predicted to produce a total of 833 million pounds of nickel, 57 million pounds of cobalt and 85 million pounds of copper over the life of the mine, representing the largest new nickel deposit in Canada. There are very few similar low-grade nickel projects in the world. Hard Creek Nickel plays a vital role in the Canadian Mining Industry , which employs 370,000 Canadians, representing 235 major mines, and accounts for over 4% of the national Gross Domestic Product. With annual wages of $17.38 billion, the Canadian mining industry provides a market to 2,200 suppliers of goods and services and invests about $300 million in annual R&D expenditures. To learn more about Canadian nickel mining, and the Turnagain Project a free news release registration is available at the Hard Creek Nickel website . http://www.hardcreeknickel.com

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