Our pipeline includes the advanced, high-grade Kwanika/Stardust project, the extensive Lorraine project with existing high-grade resources, and our 2021 discovery - East Niv, a brand new copper-gold porphyry system. Our extensive land position of >150,000 hectares, is 100% owned by NorthWest with no royalties and is bookended by the long-life Mt. Milligan Mine and the Kemess Project, both owned by Centerra Gold.
Together, a pipeline that spans the spectrum from exciting new discovery to highly de-risked development stage. A combination that has the potential to unlock real value. With a focus on high-grade, we have consolidated the adjacent Stardust and Kwanika deposits into a single advanced-stage project providing critical mass. Kwanika is already one of the largest copper-gold projects in BC and Stardust is one of the highest grade, sitting at nearly 5X the average reserve grade of currently operating BC mines. We are also breathing new life into our Lorraine Project, a proven porphyry system explored with a systematic approach for the first time. And in 2021, we drilled our East Niv Project for the first time, resulting in the discovery of Canada’s newest copper-gold porphyry system.
NorthWest Copper has a strong foundation for growth and optionality, with grade as the common denominator. We have multiple centres of gravity in our new portfolio to drive value.
- A conceptual development scenario for Kwanika/Stardust will combine multiple high-grade mining centres to feed a central processing facility. We will continue to focus on delineating and redefining the high-grade profile of this combined asset. Successful drilling in 2021 identified a brand new high-grade style of mineralization at Kwanika and drilling in 2022 will aim to both follow up this exciting discovery and expand known areas of mineralization.
- We’ve consolidated the highly prospective Lorraine and Top Cat properties, located 40 kilometres north of Kwanika. In 2021, we redfined our geological understanding of Lorraine, paving the way for drilling in 2022. Lorraine is a high-grade alkalic porphyry mineralized system with a historic non NI 43-101 compliant resource. Alkalic deposits typically form in clusters (e.g., Galore Creek, Mt. Polley), giving significant opportunity for new discoveries.
- In 2021, we carried out the very first drill program ever at East Niv, which resulted in the discovery of a new porphyry centre within a prolific porphyry belt in a Tier 1 jurisdiction. 2022 will see follow up drilling at Canada’s newest copper-gold porphyry system.