North American Nickel Begins 2017 Exploration Program at Maniitsoq Project

North American Nickel Inc. is pleased to announce that the 2017 exploration program has commenced at its 100% owned Maniitsoq nickel-copper-cobalt-PGM project in Southwest Greenland.

The Company is undertaking the third year of a focussed three-year strategy to advance the Maniitsoq Project. The primary exploration objective in 2017 is to carry out step-out drilling at three key locations, the Imiak Hill Complex (IHC), Fossilik and P-013SE, in order to advance one or more areas to delineation drilling stage for 2018 (Figure 1). Concurrently, the Company will be carrying out infrastructure-related and environmental baseline studies and advancing the project's social license through on-going corporate social responsibility initiatives.

NAN CEO, Keith Morrison, commented: "The results from the 2016 drilling campaign were successful in allowing NAN to progress to this next stage of follow-up drilling to continue to evaluate size potential at Maniitsoq. The goal of the 2017 work program is to advance the project to a delineation and resource estimate stage by 2018 and to continue to lay the ground work for critical infrastructure needed for future resource development."

The 2017 exploration program will comprise approximately 11,000 metres of diamond drilling, borehole electromagnetic (BHEM) surveys, surface Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical surveys, mapping, prospecting, sampling, structural geological studies and 3D modeling. A key component of program implementation will be the 3D integration and modeling of all exploration data in order to optimize drill hole targeting and develop new drilling targets within prospective norite stratigraphy.

The three areas selected for drilling in 2017 are a culmination of the exploration work carried out in 2015 and 2016. Fossilik and the IHC each represent areas where one or more discrete and open sulphide lenses and multiple untested exploration targets have been defined. P-013 SE represents a new discovery of high grade nickel sulphide mineralization which has only been tested with one drill hole to date. In particular, step-out drilling will be carried out to follow-up significant sulphide mineralization intersected in 2016 at the following zones (see News Releases dated October 12, 2016; October 26, 2016; October 31, 2016; and November 16, 2016):

The Company's exploration base camp on Puiattoq Bay was re-opened in late May and early June. Equipment and work crews have mobilized to site and drilling is now underway with two drill rigs. A third drill rig was also mobilized to site and is expected to begin operation in late July. The field program is estimated to extend to mid-September.

Surveys in support of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment are ongoing and a requirement for an Exploitation Licence for the Maniitsoq property, will commence in June in the areas of active exploration. This will include the recently acquired watershed 06.H currently being assessed for the potential to develop a hydropower resource consistent with the emphasis by the Greenland Government on securing environmentally friendly energy sources for any industrial development, including mining (see News Release dated March 29, 2017).