Bulk Sample (10,000 t) Scheduled for July 2026
Nicola Mining (TSX.V: NIM; FSE: HLI; OTCQB: HUSIF) reports the completion of work on the Dominion Gold Project for 2025 and the complete mine development for a 10,000-tonne bulk sample. The shipment of up to 2,000 tonnes originally planned for this year to the company’s own processing plant near Merritt, British Columbia, will be postponed to July 2026 for practical reasons.
Decisive factors were exceptionally high rainfall in late summer, which raised concerns about excessive stress on the transport road, as well as a project expansion during development after additional veins were exposed. With the completed preliminary work, Nicola Mining is creating the conditions for the next phase of operations and at the same time prioritizing activities in the field.
Work Progress 2025 and Reasons for the Change of Plan
Following the upgrade of the transport road, the development phase started in August. The centerpiece was the construction and lowering of a “landing” by around 6 meters to create a suitable mining face for vein extraction. In the process, the team came across three (!) new veins, which expanded the scope of work and influenced the logistics plan. At the same time, above-average rainfall in August/September meant that a rapid sequence of mining and removal would have placed unnecessary strain on the road infrastructure. Against this background, Nicola Mining decided to postpone the shipment of the material and start the bulk sample in a bundled form in the coming year. This will also allow mining, transport and processing to be more closely interlinked in terms of time and operations at Nicola’s Merritt mill.
Known and New Veins: Geology and Current Exposure Levels
The historically known structures include the South Pit vein and the 16 vein, from which samples were already taken in 2020. In 2025, Nicola Mining began vein extraction in the South Pit zone; about 20 meters behind the access, the vein widens to approx. 5 meters thickness. The 16 vein runs at a distance of around 20 meters from the South Pit vein and was also the subject of earlier sampling.
The Mid-West vein (approx. 1 m thick, exposed over 3 m), the West vein (approx. 3 m thick, exposed over 6 m) and the 16-East vein (approx. 1.5 m thick, exposed over 40 m), which runs 1.5 – 2 meters east of the 16 vein, have been newly exposed. Together, there are currently five open faces which, according to the company, are accessible from the landing and provide around 6 meters of strike for material extraction. This also creates exploration targets at depth, as the structures are open at depth according to the company. Nicola Mining intends to use the spatial proximity of the veins to organize the extraction sequence along short routes.
Samples, Analytics and Next Steps at Nicola Mining
Samples from the newly exposed structures were taken by the on-site crew and handed over to Paragon Geochemical, a laboratory accredited to ISO 17025:2017. Results are to be published after evaluation. From an operational point of view, scheduling for July 2026 enables a bundled bulk sample (10,000 t) under more stable weather conditions and with completed development. The permits are in place for the mill near Merritt (BC); the plant can process gold and silver material using gravity and flotation processes. CEO Peter Espig classifies the season in such a way that the work on the Dominion project was more extensive than expected and now expands the operational options for 2026. Until the restart, planning, sequencing and the integration of the analysis data are in the foreground.
Company Profile: Infrastructure and other Projects of Nicola Mining
Nicola Mining operates a 100% owned mill and tailings facility near Merritt, British Columbia, and has entered into Mining & Milling Profit Share Agreements with high-grade gold projects. In addition to Dominion, the portfolio includes the New Craigmont Project (copper; 10,913 ha on the southern edge of the Guichon Batholith, adjacent to Highland Valley Copper, Canada’s largest copper mine) and the Treasure Mountain Project (silver/polymetals; 30 claims plus mineral lease over more than 2,200 ha). The combination of its own processing infrastructure and multi-project portfolio allows Nicola Mining to flexibly manage mining and exploration programs and logistically link material flows closely with mill capacities.
With the completed development work on the Dominion Gold Project and the rescheduling of the bulk sample, Nicola Mining is setting the course for the coming season. We are excited.
