Ten Projects showcasing the Northwest Territories’ world-class potential
As the Northwest Territories inches closer to 25 years of diamond production, work is underway to develop mines which will keep responsible development strong for the next generation.
There is no shortage of projects poised to deliver on that aspiration across a range of commodities. Here, we highlight some of them.
- Nehchalacho 2.0 (Rare Earth Elements)
Avalon Advanced Materials struck a smart partnership with Australia’s Cheetah Resources this year to bring a new vision for developing its Rare Earth Elements deposit near Yellowknife.
Now operating as Cheetah Resources, the partnership will see small-scale mining of near-surface neodynum and praesodmium while Avalon continues to advance the heavy rare earths on the same property.
The intent is to get to mining quickly – and to establish the property as a producer on a modest scale as demand increases for these elements. Down the Road Cheetah Resources is positioning itself to offer a larger-scale, Canadian alternative to China’s dominance in rare-earth mining.
- Evrim Resources’ Astro Project (Gold)
Big players in the global market are now talking gold in the Sahtu region thanks to the exciting Astro project – the first to discover recoverable gold in the rocks of the Mackenzie Valley.
Located in the Mackenzie Mountains near Norman Wells, the Astro project was defined through an exploration alliance struck between Evrim and Newmont Mining Corporation back in 2017.
A beneficiary of the territory’s Mining Incentive Program, Evrim released the results of surface sampling at the project early this year. With chip samples rating as high as 11.6 grams of gold per tonne of rock across 18 m of outcrop, the results are extremely promising - and could open up a whole new model for exploration in the NWT.
- Norzinc’s Prairie Creek (Zinc, Lead, Silver)
From closing off a traditional land use agreement with the Nah?a Dehé Dene Band in Nahanni Butte back in January, to the recently-announced draft permits for their all-season road and new financing, this late-stage exploration project had some good news this year.
A project manager has been hired to oversee the flurry of activity expected over the next few years, including kicking off all-season road construction and mine infrastructure refurbishment and development.
- Seabridge Gold’s Courageous Lake: the 12th – Largest Unmined Deposit in the World (Gold)
The 2018 winter program at Seabridge Gold’s property near Yellowknife produced some promising new targets as they seek to add to resource estimates of nearly 12 million ounces in the measured, indicated, and inferred categories.
They returned to drilling to follow-up on their high-grade Walsh Lake discovery and, with positive results, CEO Rudi Fronk is on record saying the next step will be to focus on the properties smaller, high-grade finds early in the development cycle.
- Nighthawk Gold’s Indin Lake and Colomac Continues to Advance (Gold)
This historic gold-producing property continues to make moves to expand their project 200 km north of Yellowknife.
In 2019, there have been big deals on financing as gold prices inched higher, and reported exceptional gold recoveries and expanded mineralizations at their Colomac and Treasure Island Projects within their Indin Lake property.
CEO Michael Byron mused in a recent press release that the Treasure Island project is well on its way to becoming a first-class asset to complement the 2.6 million ounce inferred resource already defined at Colomac.
- Osisko’s Pine Point Project Accelerates (Zinc-Lead)
Osisko Metals has wasted no time in getting down to business after taking the reins on revitalizing mining at Pine Point.
In 2019, the company saw a near-doubling of its claims in the area, exceptional concentrate grade tests and signing of Collaboration Agreements with local Indigenous groups. It officially became the largest near-surface, pit-constrained zinc resource in Canada with the release of its Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate.
The company plans to continue an aggressive exploration program on its properties as it continues to move the project forward.
- Cantung and Mactung Take the Market by Storm (Tungsten)
The governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories put the Cantung Mine and the nearby Mactung tungsten deposit, acquired from North American Tungsten’s bankruptcy proceedings, on the market this year.
The upswing in the tungsten market produced 10 expressions of interest from companies interested in revitalizing the mine, develop proven tungsten reserves, and get NWT residents back to work.
Look for updates in the next while.
- TerraX Keeps on Trucking (Gold)
TerraX Minerals continues to expand its mineralization areas on its massive gold properties just down the road from Yellowknife. In fact, the company just released its first mineral resource estimate. At around 735,000 inferred ounces, it’s an estimate sure to turn heads in the market.
With gold prices soaring more than 24 per cent this year and an aggressive exploration program underway, TerraX will look to make waves in the coming year.
- All Roads Lead to NICO (Cobalt, Gold, Bismuth, Copper)
It was a year of milestones for Fortune Minerals in 2019 as it advances its NICO project.
The company signed a Socio-Economic Agreement with the territorial government in January, discovered a new copper mineralization at the property, and further defined its mine plans to align with market trends.
With its federal and Tlicho government partners and investors, the territorial government broke ground on a $200 million Tłı̨chǫ All-Season Road in September. Ultimately it will eliminate costly winter road construction for mine resupply.
- Gahcho Kué Finds New Pipe, Looks to Kennady (Diamonds)
The world’s largest new diamond mine moved closer to expanding its life with a new kimberlite pipe found within the existing open pit plan for the De Beers- Mountain Province joint venture.
The Wilson pipe — named for Canada’s first female geologist Alice Evelyn Wilson — is the first discovery at the site in 20 years. The find highlights the potential in the area and a fresh chance to add to the future of the mine.
Just down the road, the Kennady North exploration project run by Mountain Province continued exploration efforts at its property. Within a stone’s throw of Gahcho Kue, Mountain Province will continue to define the resources after acquiring the site from junior explorer Kennady Diamonds one year ago.