Geology and Ore 17, 2010

Greenland's nickel resource potential

There is clear potential for nickel resources in Greenland, encompassing mineralisations from Precambrian to Palaeogene environments. Nickeliferous sulphides were noted early on, and these became part of Greenland exploration history, being noted in the GEUS’s reports since the 1950s. The current commercial interest in nickel targets in Greenland was initiated by Kryolitselskabet Øresund in the early 1960s and was related to a suite of no rites in West Greenland. Platino mino A/S was established in 1968 to search for Ni-PGM type deposits within the Fiskenæsset Complex.

In the late 1980s, Platinova Resources prospected known Ni-PGE indications in Amitsoq peridotites in southern Greenland. Since 1995 norites in the Tasiilaq region, East Greenland have been the target for Ni-Cu exploration by several companies. In 2005 NunaMinerals initiated exploration in the mafic intrusions of the Fiskefjord area. In the 1980s GEUS and university groups focused on the formation of massive sulphides in the Palaeogene basalts on Disko Island, and this has led to continued exploration for Noril´sk type mineralisations. The find of the Voisey’s Bay deposit in Labrador in 1994 revived exploration activity worldwide, not least in Greenland. Today nickel exploration can benefit from the more intensive search for PGEs.