Liberty Mines(LBE-T) has released its first resource estimate for its Hart nickel project, near Timmins, Ont.

Indicated resources at the project -- located between Liberty's McWatters and Redstone nickel projects -- total 1.39 million tonnes grading 1.5% nickel and 0.1% copper for 45.97 million contained pounds nickel.

Inferred resources stand at 286,000 tonnes grading 1.36% nickel and 0.09% copper for 8.57 million contained pounds nickel.

Liberty also plans to begin a scoping study based on the initial resource block model.

Since acquiring the property in July 2007, Liberty has completed 114 diamond-drill holes and five trench samples.

The deposit has been tested to a depth of 500 metres and is open at depth. The orebody has an average strike length of 265 metres that can be subdivided into two zones based on sulphide content and ore zone width, split at the 275-metre level; the higher-grade massive sulphide zone is closer to surface.

Mineralization has been intersected by a mafic dyke and the company has yet to explore the hangingwall zones.

"Continued driling will increase geological confidence and allow extra tonnes to be added to the indicated category, especially in the lower zone where drilling is sparse," said Liberty's vice-president of exploration, William Randall, in a statement.

So far, nickel mineralization is confined to a higher-grade massive sulphide zone and to a lower-grade overlying disseminated zone.

The project is just 2.5 km west of the McWatters project, where production is slated to begin in the fourth quarter and 6.5 km east of the producing Redstone nickel mine, which has a 1,500-tonne-per-day mill.