First Atlantic Nickel (FAN.V) noted the passage of a new critical minerals bill by the U.S. House of Representatives and believes it would support the company's Pipestone XL nickel-cobalt alloy project in Newfoundland, First Atlantic said on Thursday.
The Developing Overseas Mineral Investments and New Allied Networks for Critical Energies Act, also known as the DOMINANCE Act, passed the House on June 8. The bipartisan legislation is intended to strengthen U.S. energy security and support more resilient supply chains with trusted allies and partners.
The bill authorizes equity investment, co-financing and U.S. priority offtake for allied projects. It also defines "processed" as "a metal, metal powder, or a master alloy," and awaruite is a natural nickel-iron-cobalt alloy already in the form that the bill defines as "processed."
First Atlantic's Pipestone XL project is being advanced as a potential allied source of awaruite.
Awaruite's metallic, sulphur-free composition may provide a differentiated processing pathway by enabling concentration through magnetic separation and flotation without the need for conventional smelting, roasting or high-pressure acid leaching.
The company believes this is particularly relevant to current North American supply chain challenges, where midstream processing capacity remains a key constraint.
First Atlantic believes the legislation highlights the growing strategic importance of North American and allied sources of nickel, cobalt and other critical minerals required for defense, advanced manufacturing, stainless steel, battery and clean technology supply chains.