(1) Massive turmoil everywhere. Stories of physical gold being hoarded...look at the price of gold mining shares. Look at the price of Gold itself. Does it make sense to you?

When "they want it...they push it down to accumulate and get you out".

(2) ROF is described as once every 100 years. Noront has an unbelievable deposit in a stable country. All levels of gov't are calling this a priority ...yet we sit at an almost 52 week low. Much like the gold situation.

When "they want it...they push it down to accumulate and get you out."

(3) We has a story posted about how nickel is getting the crap kicked out of it.

"Steve Hulton, principal mining analyst for Wood Mackenzie, described nickel as the “worst” of all commodities the company had studied "

NORONT INVESTORS .........what's so ugly about Nickel??? Why is it Just SO ugly?

(4) I tried to figure out just what is so incredibly ugly about nickel these days...much like the very so called "ugly gold , ugly noront"

It seems to me that the stuff that is the MOST sought after (in secret)...is battered the worst. So ...it made me interested to see if I could see just what is so incredibly "beautiful" about Nickel to create such a Nickel ass kicking. ..

I looked at the many uses of nickel and some things stood out in my mind. I bolded them below.

We've all been read about the heights in price that gold will eventually go to... and the talks of a new world currency to replace the usa dollar...etc.

I find it interesting that Nickel Sulphide is needed in Fire Assay..do you see the gold..pge.. Think about Noront's nickel Sulphide discovery and the juicy PGE's (enough PGE for a platinum mine and only 7% of Noront land explored so far!!!)

Nickel is used in a process known as fire assay. This process helps identify the types of compounds in an ore, metal or alloy. Nickel is able to collect all the platinum group elements in this process. It also partially collects gold.

Nickel is still used in many parts of the world in coins. The American nickel (worth 5 cents) is actually 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Here's a link for you to read from our buddies at ACTLABS

http://www.actlabs.com/page.aspx?menu=72&app=240&cat1=619&tp=2..

Here's another link from SGS labs

http://www.sgs.com/en/Mining/Analytical-Services/Chemical-Testing/Precious-Metals/PGE-by-Nickel-Sulphide-FA.aspx

Fire Assay

The basic procedure for fire assay involves mixing an aliquot of powdered sample (10g, 15g, 30g, or 50g are the common sizes used) with soda ash (sodium carbonate), borax (sodium borate), litharge (PbO), flour (baking flour used to add carbon as a reductant), silica, and possible nitre (potassium nitrate). To this mixture, Ag as a collector can be added in solution or as a foil. The well mixed material is fired at temperatures ranging from 1100C to 1200C (depending on the laboratory). As the Pb and Ag in the melt settle to the bottom of the crucible, its scavanges the Au (+/- Pd, Pt) from the melt. The lead button is cupelled at 950 degrees C in a magnesia cupel. A tiny Ag bead which contains Au, Pt and Pd can be dissolved and analyzed by atomic absorption, ICP (Code 1C-OES) or ICP/MS (Code 1C expl, Code 1Cexpl2, Code 1C Res). Alternatively the Ag can be dissolved out leaving a tiny Au flake which can be weighed (gravimetric technique-Code 1A3) or the entire bead can be irradiated for direct INAA determination (Code 1A1). A variation of the technique using Au as a collector is used for Rh determination (Code 1C-Rh).

Uses of Nickel

• Nickel is used in many products some of you may use everyday including electric guitar strings, magnets and rechargeable batteries. The magnetic properties of nickel actually make it very important for use in computer hard drives.
• Nickel is added to a very important metal alloy- stainless steel. Stainless steel has numerous applications. It is used in cookware, cutlery, kitchen appliances, hardware, surgical instruments, storage tanks, firearms, car headlights, jewelery and watches.
• Various bronzes and brasses are made using nickel alloyed with other metals. Heat and electrical resistant alloys can also be made from nickel.
• Nickel is also added to superalloys. To find out more about these types of alloys see the post uses of cobalt.
• Nickel is still used in many parts of the world in coins. The American nickel (worth 5 cents) is actually 75% copper and 25% nickel.
• Nickel foam or nickel mesh is used in alkaline fuel cells as part of the gas diffusion electrodes.
• Nickel is used in a process known as fire assay. This process helps identify the types of compounds in an ore, metal or alloy. Nickel is able to collect all the platinum group elements in this process. It also partially collects gold.
• In the science laboratory, nickel is typically used as a catalyst for a hydrogenation reaction.