VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NorthWest Copper (“NorthWest” or “the Company”) (TSX-V: NWST) (OTCQX: NWCCF) is pleased to announce that drilling at Kwanika has encountered multiple intersections of high-grade copper-gold porphyry mineralization. These holes extend the high-grade part of Kwanika. All five holes have intercepts of greater than 1% copper equivalent mineralization and contain meaningful gold grades. These results reinforce the high-grade nature and continuity of this deposit. Highlights are presented below:
- K-21-210: 416.50 metres 1 of 0.87% copper equivalent (“CuEq”) 2 including 100.50m of 1.91% CuEq.
- K-21-216: 250.60 metres of 1.36% CuEq including 71.90m of 2.64% CuEq.
- K-21-218: 366.00 metres of 0.61% CuEq including 106.10m of 1.27% CuEq.
These holes are a continuation of the Company’s angle hole drill program designed to expand and improve the high-grade part of the Kwanika resource 3 . These five holes are in the “Boot” target area which forms the conceptual block cave portion of the resource as defined by the 2019 resource shape. The holes are below and down plunge from the previously released 2021 near-surface drilling, which targeted the conceptual open pit defined in the 2019 study.
“The Kwanika high-grade drill program continues to deliver exceptional results,” commented President and CEO Peter Bell. “The discovery of a new very high-grade style of mineralization in hole K-21-217 was really exciting for Kwanika exploration. This new batch of five holes is a reminder that the porphyry mineralization at Kwanika itself is characterized by very high grades. Every hole in this release has material thicknesses of greater than 1% copper equivalent demonstrating the wide distribution of high grades throughout the deposit. In addition, hole K-21-216 includes a significant thickness of material above 2.5% copper equivalent including a significant gold contribution.”
Table 1: Significant Drill Results From This News Release
| Drill Hole | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m)¹ | Cu (%) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | CuEq² (%) |
| K-21-206 | 294.40 | 655.20 | 360.80 | 0.49 | 0.43 | 1.5 | 0.81 |
| incl. | 456.10 | 506.20 | 50.10 | 0.98 | 1.29 | 2.6 | 1.93 |
| K-21-210 | 263.50 | 680.00 | 416.50 | 0.44 | 0.57 | 1.6 | 0.87 |
| incl. | 263.50 | 494.00 | 230.50 | 0.70 | 0.84 | 2.3 | 1.33 |
| or incl. | 391.50 | 492.00 | 100.50 | 0.78 | 1.54 | 2.7 | 1.91 |
| K-21-216 | 498.90 | 749.50 | 250.60 | 0.50 | 1.17 | 1.8 | 1.36 |
| incl. | 564.00 | 635.90 | 71.90 | 0.90 | 2.38 | 2.9 | 2.64 |
| K-21-218 | 252.30 | 618.30 | 366.00 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 1.2 | 0.61 |
| incl. | 483.40 | 589.50 | 106.10 | 0.57 | 0.66 | 0.9 | 1.27 |
| K-21-219 | 497.10 | 704.05 | 206.95 | 0.41 | 0.52 | 1.3 | 0.79 |
| incl. | 630.95 | 679.45 | 48.50 | 0.48 | 1.30 | 1.7 | 1.43 |
NorthWest’s goals at Kwanika in 2021 included expanding the high-grade zone and improving the grade within it by drilling angled holes across mineralized structural zones with closer-spaced drilling. All our results to date have provided results exceeding these goals.
NorthWest has focussed on the high-grade portion of Kwanika and adjacent high-grade Stardust deposit since the Company was created in March. Multiple high-grade Kwanika assay results 4 followed releases of favourable Stardust metallurgy in April 2021 5 and an expanded high-grade Stardust resource in May 2021. These high-grade results, the previously released near-surface results, and drill hole K-21-217, will support an updated Kwanika resource planned for Q4 2021. We still have additional results to be received and released including additional holes from Kwanika, Stardust and East Niv.
Each drill hole reported here exhibits similar geology. Copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization is hosted by diorite and monzonite intrusions. Highest grade intervals correlate with the abundance of very well-mineralized quartz-sulphide veins that contain chalcopyrite variably accompanied by bornite, and additional disseminated mineralization occurs in strong potassic alteration between and related to the veins. Mineralization is mostly hypogene sulphide, but a zone of paleo-supergene mineralization is typically present at the top of the mineralized interval. Late- to post-mineral dykes locally cut the copper-gold mineralization.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control
Drilling completed at Kwanika in 2021 was supervised by on-site NorthWest personnel who collected and tracked samples and implemented a full QA/QC program using blanks, standards and duplicates to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Bureau Veritas (BV) in Vancouver BC for analysis. BV’s quality control system complies with global certifications for Quality ISO9001:2008. Core samples were analyzed using a combination of BV’s MA200 process for low level concentrations (ICP-MS/4 Acid digestion) and the MA370 process for higher level concentrations (ICP-ES/4 acid digestion). Gold assaying was completed with FA430, a 30-gram fire assay with AAS finish. Base metal overlimits were finalized with titration where required, with gold overlimits completed with a gravimetric finish. A silica wash was used between high-grade samples to ensure no sample carry over.
Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Ian Neill P.Geo., Vice President Exploration of NorthWest, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects .
About NorthWest Copper:
NorthWest Copper is a new copper-gold explorer and developer with an exciting pipeline of projects in British Columbia. With a robust portfolio in a tier one jurisdiction, NorthWest Copper is well positioned to participate fully in a strengthening global copper market. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.northwestcopper.ca .
On Behalf of the Board of Directors of NorthWest Copper Corp.
“Peter Bell”
Director, President and CEO
For further information, please contact:
| Adrian O’Brien, Director Marketing & Communications Tel: 604-809-6890 Email: aobrien@northwestcopper.ca |
