First Atlantic Nickel & Cobalt Welcomes Former Director of the Office of Critical Minerals and Metals at the United States Department of Commerce, Gary Stanley, as Senior Strategic Advisor
First Atlantic adds former commerce official to its board as the Awaruite pilot project approaches a critical development juncture.
First Atlantic Nickel & Cobalt Corp. (FAN) announced on June 30, 2026, that it has appointed Gary Stanley as Senior Strategic Advisor. Stanley brings more than 40 years of federal service to the role, most recently serving as the Director of the Office of Critical Minerals and Metals at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He was the lead coordinating author of the June 2019 Federal Critical Mineral Strategy and currently heads Global Mineral Strategies, LLC.
The appointment follows recent metallurgical milestones at the company’s Pipestone XL project, specifically the production of high-grade awaruite concentrate. Using the ONSHORE MAX™ magnetic separation and flotation process, the project achieved concentrate grades of up to 71.9% nickel and 1.76% cobalt. The company highlighted the strategic value of awaruite for establishing a smelter-free, vertically integrated North American supply chain, which could potentially qualify for U.S. Section 45X advanced manufacturing tax credits.
First Atlantic Nickel & Cobalt Corp. (FAN) has appointed a new advisor in a strategic role focused on strengthening government relations and navigating U.S. and Canadian critical minerals policy frameworks. This move aligns with the company’s recent acceptance into the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) and its efforts to align with G7 critical mineral traceability frameworks.
The announcement is viewed as incremental and expected, given the company's heavy emphasis on policy alignment and government-backed financing mechanisms. There is no immediate financial impact, contract, or capital raise attached to this announcement, nor does it alter the company's operational timeline or metallurgical roadmap. Market reaction is likely to be muted to moderately positive, viewed as a credibility boost rather than a fundamental shift in project economics or execution risk.
First Atlantic Nickel & Cobalt Corp. is a junior explorer focused on the Pipestone XL Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Project in Newfoundland, Canada. The project spans the 30-kilometer Pipestone Ophiolite Complex and targets awaruite (Ni₃Fe), a naturally occurring, sulfur-free nickel-iron-cobalt alloy averaging ~77% nickel.
The ONSHORE MAX™ process uses low-intensity magnetic separation and flotation to produce high-grade concentrate (~60–72% Ni) without smelting, roasting, or high-pressure acid leaching. Strategic advantages include bypassing North America's limited midstream smelting capacity, reducing carbon intensity, and eliminating acid mine drainage risks associated with sulfide ores.
The company also holds the Ophiolite-X project (hydrogen/CCS potential) and an option on the Lucky Mike copper-silver-tungsten property in British Columbia.