Royal Nickel Provides Exploration Update for High Grade Ni-Cu-PGM West Raglan Project

Also Updates on Aer-Kidd and Marbridge

TORONTO, June 17, 2015 /CNW/ - Royal Nickel Corporation ("RNC") (TSX: RNX) is pleased to announce its plans for the 2015 exploration season at its 68% owned (following the completion of the financing announced last week) West Raglan nickel sulphide project located in northern Quebec.

"There are few places today where you can still walk on mineralization containing 2 to 3% nickel and 2 to 3 g/t PGM, particularly downtrend on the same structure from one of the largest nickel sulphide mines in the world in a great mining jurisdiction like Quebec. We have been able to use cost effective satellite imaging to identify a number of high priority prospecting targets at surface. Our geophysical program that was completed last fall demonstrated that advances in airborne EM, combined with our reviews of the historic data, have highlighted potential extensions of known lenses and potential new lenses. Following our recent financing to advance exploration activities in the field at West Raglan, I am looking forward to getting the 2015 exploration program underway," said Mark Selby, President and CEO of RNC.

West Raglan Project - Overview

West Raglan is a mature nickel sulphide exploration project located in the west central portion of the Cape Smith Belt in northern Quebec, Canada. The Cape Smith Belt is home to prolific, high-grade nickel sulphide deposits, including two producing mines: Glencore's Raglan Mine and Jilin Jien Nickel's Nunavik Mine. West Raglan has yielded multiple shallow, high grade nickel (2 to 3%) and high grade PGM (2 to 3 g/t) intersections and is one of only a few high grade sulphide nickel and PGM exploration targets in close proximity to existing mining operations, as shown in Figure 1. On July 29, 2014, a NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the West Raglan Project was filed under RNC's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on RNC's website at www.royalnickel.com.

Over $50 million has been spent in exploration on the 400 square kilometer West Raglan property including the drilling of 229 diamond drill holes totaling over 43,541 metres. Seven zones of Ni-Cu-PGM sulphide mineralization have been found to date on the West Raglan property. One of these zones, the Frontier Zone, includes five key high-grade lens clusters.

Highlights from Frontier Zone drilling as shown in Figure 2 below include:

• Seahawk A: 28.28m grading 3.21% Ni, 1.32% Cu, 2.43g/t Pd and 0.65g/t Pt
• Frontier Central: 10.50m grading 2.78% Ni, 1.21% Cu, 2.78g/t Pd and 0.80g/t Pt
• Frontier East: 7.62m grading 2.54% Ni, 1.42% Cu, 1.56g/t Pd and 0.39g/t Pt
• Frontier South: 20m grading 2.41% Ni, 0.92% Cu, 2.28g/t Pd and 0.66g/t Pt

Significant drill intersections from West Raglan are summarized in Table 1 below.

These intersections occur in the same geological setting as the Raglan mine in ultramafic intrusions and flows occurring stratigraphically below the Chukotat Group basalt. The mineralization is also very similar to the typical ores from the Raglan mine, which are amongst the richest Ni-Cu-PGM mines in the world.

West Raglan's exploration model is based on the potential to build a resource out of the mineralized lenses at Frontier, exploring for additional lenses at Frontier, and for new lens clusters across the other zones of the property. The neighbouring Raglan Mine hosts similar clusters of mineralized lenses in 12 distinct zones, four of which are currently in production and feeding a central mill facility.

Figure 2: Highlights from historical Frontier Zone drilling

Reference is made to the full Technical Report on the West Raglan Nickel Project, Quebec, Canada, filed on Sedar on July 29, 2014.

West Raglan – Recent Work and 2015 Program

A multidisciplinary approach involving new and existing geophysics, geochemistry and remote sensing data has been used in order to develop high-quality exploration targets for the 2015 program at West Raglan.

Airborne EM Survey

True North Nickel completed a 200 line-km airborne time-domain electromagnetic geophysical survey using Geotech Limited's deep penetrating helicopter-borne VTEM system (Bfield-VTEM Plus) over the Frontier Zone of its west Raglan Property in November 2014. The survey has been successful in extending the detection of mineralized lenses to greater depths than historical airborne EM surveying on the property. For example, the survey successfully detected the "Seahawk" lens at 56m depth (WR-04-47, 16m of 0.78%Ni, 0.31%Cu, 0.44g/t Pt, 0.44g/t Pd) which had been discovered by previous drilling but was not detected by previous airborne geophysical surveys. Interpretation of the results from the VTEM survey also indicates that conductive anomalies extend at depth down-plunge from existing mineralized occurrences in the Frontier Zone. These conductors are excellent targets for expanding the mineralized lenses at Frontier.

Figure 3: Mineralized zones and exploration targets at the West Raglan property

Review of Historical Geophysics

A comprehensive review of all historical geophysics performed on the property was completed by TNN. Reprocessing of all borehole electromagnetic surveys (BHEM) and remodeling of results has yielded several conductor models that show possible extensions of known lenses at Frontier, as well as new targets at Frontier. Untested offhole conductors have also been identified at the CDC and Beverly zones.

Detailed review of the surface Time-Domain EM (TDEM) has generated two untested targets which have also been identified by the VTEM survey at the Frontier–Red Boundary which may represent the eastward extension of the Frontier Zone.

Multispectral Remote Sensing Study

True North Nickel has completed a multispectral remote sensing study of six areas of its West Raglan Property totaling 75 km² along a 32 km strike length of the Raglan Trend. Several relatively unexplored areas within the study blocks show spectral signatures similar to those associated with the high-grade nickel sulphides mineralization at Frontier. Multispectral remote sensing data from an additional zone totaling 20 km² and 10 km of strike length along the Raglan trend are currently being processed.

Geochemical Study

Review of all borehole geochemical assay data has yielded exploration vectors related to anomalous PGE mineralization haloes surrounding massive nickel sulphide lenses.

2015 West Raglan Exploration Program

The 2015 exploration program will focus on the evaluation of exploration targets generated by the work completed in 2014-15. It will also include property-wide prospecting and airborne geophysics designed to identify and refine new exploration targets. Given the success of this method at Frontier, TNN plans to extend the VTEM survey over the Remainder of the Frontier zone, along with Beverly and large portions of the West Raglan property in 2015 (for a total of approximately 1300 line-km).

Prospecting and mapping will focus on the follow-up of airborne geophysical anomalies, remote sensing anomalies and surface geochemical anomalies to generate drill targets. An additional four areas (Beverly West, Boomerang West, Blue and Pure, see Figure 3 above) along a strike length of 19 km in the western part of the property are planned for satellite data acquisition and analysis.

The summer 2015 program will include approximately 1500 m of diamond drilling accompanied by borehole geophysical surveys. The drilling will test possible extension of lenses at Frontier and new targets generated by the review of property wide geophysics in 2014-2015.

Table 1 Significant drill intersections from West Raglan Project

Aer-Kidd Project Update

On May 25, 2015, Sudbury Platinum Corporation ("SPC"), a private company in which RNC has an approximate 19% interest, announced that it has continued to intersect Ni-Cu-PGM mineralization at its Aer-Kidd Project near Sudbury Ontario. In March of 2015 SPC disclosed results from the first three holes completed on the property, two of which included encouraging intersections of elevated copper, nickel and platinum group (Ni-Cu-PGM) mineralization (refer to SPC news release dated March 2nd, 2015). The highlights released by SPC on May 25 are provided below.

Highlights:

• AK-14-001B intersected 7.40 metres containing 2.27g/t PGM (Pt+Pd+Au), 0.45% Cu and 0.33% Ni, including 0.60 metres grading 4.19g/t PGM, 1.38% Cu, and 0.33% Ni approximately 30 metres up-dip and east of AK-14-001A.
• AK-14-001C intersected 18.0 metres containing 1.84g/t PGM, 0.59% Cu and 0.39% Ni,including 4.0 metres grading 4.73g/t PGM, 1.13% Cu, and 0.27% Ni approximately 50 metres up-dip and east of AK-14-001B.
• AK-15-003 intersected 9.15 metres containing 1.46g/t PGM, 0.99% Cu and 0.67% Ni, including 1.45 metres grading 2.92 g/t PGM, 2.36% Cu and 1.11% Ni approximately 200m below the past producing Robinson Mine.

Table 2: Highlight Drill Intersections

Note: * All intercepts reported are down hole lengths, not true thicknesses. Insufficient drilling has been completed to date to define the orientation of the mineralized zone in space.

Source: Sudbury Platinum Corporation news release dated May 25, 2015

About Aer-Kidd Project and Sudbury Platinum Corporation
Aer-Kidd is a 280 hectare property covering approximately 1.4 kilometres of the Worthington Offset Dyke located near Worthington, Ontario in the Sudbury Basin area. Past production on the Aer-Kidd property has come from numerous shallow underground and surface workings (Howland Pit, Rosen and Robinson Deposits).

The Aer-Kidd property is located centrally between two significant known resources also on the Worthington Offset, Vale's Totten mine (10.1 million tonnes grading 1.5% Ni, 1.97% Cu, 4.8g/t PGM)¹ and KGHM's Victoria project (14.5 million tonnes grading 2.5% Ni, 2.5% Cu, 7.6 g/t PGM)².

SPC is a Canadian private corporation focused on exploring for nickel, copper and platinum group metals in the Sudbury Area. SPC is evaluating the Aer-Kidd Property, an advanced exploration property located on the prospective Worthington Offset Dyke in the heart of the Sudbury mining camp. It also holds a 100% interest in the Owen Nickel Property. Additional information regarding the company and its projects can be found at www.sudburyplatinumcorp.com.

Sale of Marbridge Nickel Copper Project

On June 1, 2015 RNC executed an agreement to sell its 100% interest in the Marbridge Property to Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx"). Under the terms of the Agreement, Sphinx will acquire 100% of RNC's interest in Marbridge by issuing 2,000,000 common shares to RNC at $ 0.035 per share. The transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and other customary closing conditions. RNC will also receive a 2% net smelter return royalty ("NSR") on the Marbridge mining concessions, which will be subject to a re-purchase right (at a cost of $2,000,000). No cash payments or  exploration expenditure commitments were made in this transaction. The eight (8) mining claims remain subject to a 2% NSR in favour of Jefmar Inc., which is subject to a 50% purchase option (at a cost of $1,000,000).

The disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Alger St-Jean, P. Geo., Vice President Exploration of RNC, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101.

About Royal Nickel Corporation

Royal Nickel Corporation is a mineral resource company focused primarily on the acquisition, exploration, evaluation and development of base metal and platinum group metal properties. RNC's principal asset is the Dumont Nickel Project strategically located in the established Abitibi mining camp, in the municipalities of Launay and Trécesson, 25 kilometres northwest of Amos, Quebec. RNC also owns interests in two advanced stage nickel exploration properties: the Aer-Kidd project near Sudbury, Ontario and the West Raglan project in northern Quebec. RNC has a strong management team and Board with over 100 years of mining experience in the nickel business at Inco and Falconbridge. RNC's common shares and warrants trade on the TSX under the symbols RNX and RNX.WT.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking information" including without limitation statements relating to the upside and potential of the Aer-Kidd property.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RNC to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals; the results of drilling at West Raglan and Aer-Kidd; inability on the part of RNC or SPC to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to advance the West Raglan and Aer-Kidd properties, respectively; environmental liabilities (known and unknown); general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; political instability, terrorism, insurrection or war; or delays in obtaining governmental approvals. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to RNC's filings with Canadian securities regulators available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Although RNC has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and RNC disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Information Concerning Aer Kidd and Neighbouring Properties:
Information concerning Aer-Kidd and neighbouring properties in this news release is taken from sources, some of which are historical, that RNC believes to be reliable, but RNC has not verified the information and does not assume responsibility for such third party information.

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¹ Resource reported by Inco Ltd. in news release dated January 18, 2001
² Resource reported by KGHM in news release dated January 16, 2012

SOURCE Royal Nickel Corporation