VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthWest Copper (“NorthWest” or “the Company”) (TSX-V: NWST) (OTCQX: NWCCF) is pleased to announce that drilling at Kwanika has intersected additional high-grade copper-gold mineralization. Drill holes K-21-220 and K-21-222 returned intervals of very high grades within much longer intervals of significant Cu-Au grades in the vicinity of hole K-21-217 (9.4m of 33.60% copper equivalent “CuEq”) 1. Highlights include:
- K-21-220: 280 metres2 of 1.08% CuEq3 including 13.85 metres at 4.16% CuEq;
- K-21-222: 227.60 metres of 0.82% CuEq including 4.0 metres at 5.05% CuEq.
The drilling shows the consistency of the high-grade core of Kwanika, with long intervals of material at or near 1% copper equivalent. Within these long intervals are zones of much higher grade. K-21-217 showed this most dramatically, with 9.4 m of 33.60% CuEq within a broader interval of very strong copper and gold. K-21-220 and K-21-222 demonstrate the same pattern. In the intervals reported, copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization is hosted by intrusions logged as monzonite and minor diorite that occur directly below post-mineral sedimentary rocks. High-grade copper-gold mineralization occurs in strong potassic alteration associated with abundant quartz-sulphide veins and is predominantly hypogene with subordinate supergene mineralization at the top of the intersections. These results help validate our focus on high-grade as well as supporting our planned 2022 program in the enhanced grade area around K-21-217.
“These results deliver the consistent high-grade that characterizes the core of Kwanika.” commented President and CEO Peter Bell. “High-grade copper-gold has been our focus since we formed NorthWest Copper. We look forward to testing for additional high-grade, including offsets of K-21-217, in 2022.”
Table 1: Significant Drill Results From This News Release
| Hole | Target | From(m) | To(m) | Interval
(m)² | Cu (PCT) | Au (g/t) | Ag
(g/t) | CuEq³
(PCT) |
| K-21-220 | Central Pit High Grade | 257.10 | 537.10 | 280.00 | 0.59 | 0.66 | 2.0 | 1.08 |
| | Including | 353.45 | 495.00 | 141.55 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 2.7 | 1.49 |
| | And | 481.15 | 495.00 | 13.85 | 1.03 | 4.29 | 4.9 | 4.16 |
| K-21-222 | Central Pit High Grade | 200.40 | 428.00 | 227.60 | 0.39 | 0.60 | 1.3 | 0.83 |
| | Including | 312.20 | 428.00 | 115.80 | 0.52 | 1.09 | 1.8 | 1.32 |
| | And | 345.00 | 393.00 | 48.00 | 0.70 | 2.23 | 2.5 | 2.33 |
| | Also | 359.00 | 363.00 | 4.00 | 1.52 | 4.85 | 5.1 | 5.05 |
| | Also | 379.00 | 383.00 | 4.00 | 1.12 | 3.57 | 4.3 | 3.72 |
NorthWest Copper conducted drilling in 2021 at Kwanika, Stardust and East Niv. At Kwanika we drilled both grade enhancement and step out holes. The two holes in this release are the final ones from the 2021 grade enhancement drilling. The Kwanika step-out and Stardust drill assays are pending. The Kwanika grade enhancement program consisted of angle holes to test the high-grade core of Kwanika and improve resolution of both copper and gold grades in advance of our preliminary economic assessment (PEA) planned for 2022. The program met its goals and successfully identified the high-grade hole K-21-217, reported in late 2021.
NorthWest Copper plans to release a summary of our 2022 programs in the coming weeks. We look forward to updating the market on the extensive exploration program planned across our portfolio of projects in north-central British Columbia.
The drill holes reported herein encountered materials geologically similar to those intersected by previous drilling campaigns. At Kwanika as a whole, copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization is hosted by intermediate to felsic intrusions and by subordinate mafic volcanic rocks. The highest-grade intervals commonly correlate with the abundance of very well mineralized quartz-sulphide veins that contain chalcopyrite variably accompanied by bornite. Disseminated mineralization occurs in strong potassic alteration between and related to these veins, but also in areas of pervasive potassic alteration. Mineralization is dominated by hypogene sulphide, with a narrow zone of paleo-supergene mineralization that is commonly present at the top of the mineralized interval. Late-to post-mineral dykes locally cut the copper-gold mineralization.
Table 2: 2021 Kwanika Drill Results
| Hole | From (m) | To (m) | Interval (m)² | Cu (%) | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | CuEq³ (%) |
| K-21-205 | 35.7 | 266.65 | 230.95 | 0.56 | 0.58 | 1.9 | 0.99 |
| incl. | 35.7 | 130.3 | 94.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 2.6 | 1.62 |
| K-21-206 | 294.4 | 655.2 | 360.8 | 0.49 | 0.43 | 1.5 | 0.81 |
| incl. | 456.1 | 506.2 | 50.1 | 0.98 | 1.29 | 2.6 | 1.93 |
| K-21-207 | 25.5 | 212.5 | 187 | 0.62 | 0.24 | 1.6 | 0.81 |
| incl. | 25.5 | 98.5 | 73 | 0.9 | 0.41 | 2.5 | 1.22 |
| K-21-208 | 25.5 | 221.5 | 196 | 0.49 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 0.65 |
| incl. | 25.5 | 78 | 52.5 | 1.09 | 0.49 | 3.6 | 1.47 |
| K-21-209 | 28.5 | 183 | 154.5 | 0.58 | 0.47 | 1.9 | 0.92 |
| incl. | 28.5 | 81.5 | 53 | 0.96 | 0.95 | 3.2 | 1.66 |
| K-21-210 | 263.5 | 680 | 416.5 | 0.44 | 0.57 | 1.6 | 0.87 |
| incl. | 263.5 | 494 | 230.5 | 0.7 | 0.84 | 2.3 | 1.33 |
| or incl. | 391.5 | 492 | 100.5 | 0.78 | 1.54 | 2.7 | 1.91 |
| K-21-211 | 36 | 173.5 | 137.5 | 0.64 | 0.36 | 1.9 | 0.91 |
| incl. | 36 | 107 | 71 | 0.88 | 0.61 | 2.7 | 1.34 |
| K-21-212 | 71.7 | 273.9 | 202.2 | 0.31 | 0.59 | 1.2 | 0.74 |
| incl. | 71.7 | 117.5 | 45.8 | 0.58 | 1.37 | 2 | 1.57 |
| K-21-213 | 38.5 | 218.5 | 180 | 0.23 | 0.38 | 0.8 | 0.5 |
| incl. | 38.5 | 77 | 38.5 | 0.33 | 0.71 | 1.2 | 0.85 |
| K-21-214 | 63.5 | 204 | 140.5 | 0.28 | 0.37 | 1.2 | 0.56 |
| incl. | 63.5 | 127 | 63.5 | 0.35 | 0.57 | 1.6 | 0.77 |
| K-21-215 | Hole abandoned before target |
| K-21-216 | 498.9 | 749.5 | 250.6 | 0.5 | 1.17 | 1.8 | 1.36 |
| incl. | 564 | 635.9 | 71.9 | 0.9 | 2.38 | 2.9 | 2.64 |
| K-21-217 | 253.15 | 488.6 | 235.45 | 2 | 1.21 | 5.3 | 2.92 |
| incl. | 293 | 446.25 | 153.25 | 2.84 | 1.69 | 7.5 | 4.13 |
| also incl. | 326.65 | 336.05 | 9.4 | 29.85 | 4.34 | 70.5 | 33.6 |
| K-21-218 | 252.3 | 618.3 | 366 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 1.2 | 0.61 |
| incl. | 483.4 | 589.5 | 106.1 | 0.57 | 0.66 | 0.9 | 1.27 |
| K-21-219 | 497.1 | 704.05 | 206.95 | 0.41 | 0.52 | 1.3 | 0.79 |
| incl. | 630.95 | 679.45 | 48.5 | 0.48 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.43 |
| K-21-220 | 257.1 | 537.1 | 280 | 0.59 | 0.66 | 2 | 1.08 |
| incl. | 353.45 | 495 | 141.55 | 0.75 | 1 | 2.7 | 1.49 |
| also incl. | 481.15 | 495 | 13.85 | 1.03 | 4.29 | 4.9 | 4.16 |
| K-21-221 | Pending |
| K-21-222 | 200.4 | 428 | 227.6 | 0.39 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.83 |
| incl. | 312.2 | 428 | 115.8 | 0.52 | 1.09 | 1.8 | 1.32 |
| also incl. | 345 | 393 | 48 | 0.7 | 2.23 | 2.5 | 2.33 |
| also incl. | 359 | 363 | 4 | 1.52 | 4.85 | 5.1 | 5.05 |
| also incl. | 379 | 383 | 4 | 1.12 | 3.57 | 4.3 | 3.72 |
| K-21-223 | Pending |
| K-21-224 | Pending |
| K-21-225 | Pending |
| K-21-226 | Pending |
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. We are committed to working with the Indigenous and local communities to conduct our work in an environmentally and culturally respectful manner. 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