The Shanghai-listed Jilin Ji En Nickel Industry Co. announced Tuesday that the National Development and Reform Commission has approved its deal with Canadian Goldbrook Ventures Inc. on cooperative prospecting for nickel resources.

Ji En Nickel Industry based in northeast China's Jilin Province announced in mid-April that it planned to invest 248 million yuan in Goldbrook for exploration in the latter's 891,000 acres of mines located in Quebec, rich in copper and nickel resources.

The company added that it has formally become the controlling shareholder of Canadian Liberty Mines Inc. after having invested 165 million yuan to acquire a 51 percent stake in the latter.

Liberty Mines' nickel ore projects are estimated to have resource reserves of 2.97 million tons, including 47,000 tons of nickel and 2.2 tons of copper.

Ji En Nickel Industry enjoys a priority status in the purchase of refined nickel ore from Liberty Mines, which will further ensure its raw material supplies.

Ji En Nickel Industry is a subsidiary company of China's second largest nickel producer, Jilin Horoc Nonferrous Metals Group.