NorthWest Reports Significant Ore Sorting Results at Kwanika
Original announcement by tmx on
- Company
- NorthWest Copper Corp.
- Ticker
- NWST
- Exchange
- TSX
- Region
- British Columbia
- Primary commodity
- Copper
- Secondary commodities
- Gold, Silver
- Document categories
- Metallurgy
- Extracted
- 2026-09-16 15:04:55 UTC
Analysis by Minestarters Atlas
Minestarters Atlas analysis
Summary
NorthWest Copper Corp. reported successful XRT ore sorting test results at its Kwanika project, demonstrating significant grade upgrades for copper, gold, and silver. The results show high metal recoveries and the ability to reject barren material, potentially reducing capital costs and environmental impact in the upcoming PEA.
Reasoning: Positive ore sorting results demonstrate significant grade upgrades and high recoveries, which could improve project economics in the upcoming PEA.
Positive factors
- Significant grade upgrade in sorted product
- High metal recoveries achieved via XRT sorting
- Potential for reduced CAPEX and environmental footprint
- Creation of a low-grade stockpile for later processing
Facts used in scoring: 6
Classification and evidence
Mill Routeneutral
Processing via mill or concentrator (CIL, CIP, tank leach, flotation).
Why it applies: The test work evaluates sorting technology to improve mill feed grades ahead of a processing plant.
Evidence · text
“The program evaluated the use of sorting technology to reject barren material ahead of a processing plant.”
High Recoverypositive
Recovery at or above the exceptional band for the commodity and processing route.
Why it applies: Copper, gold, and silver recoveries are all at or above the 85-90% threshold for the commodity.
Evidence · text
“recoveries of approximately 90.2% Cu, 88.3% Au and 90.0% Ag”
Multi-Domain Testedpositive
Variability across ore domains (oxide, transition, fresh) has been addressed.
Why it applies: 2 distinct composites were tested
Extracted facts
Stored fact records: 6. Some facts used in scoring do not have a stored record.
Metallurgical Results (6)
XRT sortingKwanika · copperRecovery: 90.2 %Head Grade: 1Head Grade Unit: %View all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- copper
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorter + Fines (recombined mill feed)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 90.2 %
- Head Grade
- 1
- Head Grade Unit
- %
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: 90.2% recovery is strong for an XRT sorting process.
Positive factors
- High recovery for copper
Evidence · text
“final mill feed grading approximately 1.0% Cu, 1.85g/t Au, 3.25g/t Ag in only 75.0% of the mass, with recoveries of approximately 90.2% Cu, 88.3% Au and 90.0% Ag.”
XRT sortingKwanika · goldRecovery: 88.3 %Head Grade: 1.85Head Grade Unit: g/tView all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- gold
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorter + Fines (recombined mill feed)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 88.3 %
- Head Grade
- 1.85
- Head Grade Unit
- g/t
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: 88.3% recovery is strong for gold in this context.
Positive factors
- High gold recovery
Evidence · text
“final mill feed grading approximately 1.0% Cu, 1.85g/t Au, 3.25g/t Ag in only 75.0% of the mass, with recoveries of approximately 90.2% Cu, 88.3% Au and 90.0% Ag.”
XRT sortingKwanika · silverRecovery: 90 %Head Grade: 3.25Head Grade Unit: g/tView all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- silver
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorter + Fines (recombined mill feed)
Recovery
- Recovery
- 90 %
- Head Grade
- 3.25
- Head Grade Unit
- g/t
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: 90.0% recovery is strong for silver.
Positive factors
- High silver recovery
Evidence · text
“final mill feed grading approximately 1.0% Cu, 1.85g/t Au, 3.25g/t Ag in only 75.0% of the mass, with recoveries of approximately 90.2% Cu, 88.3% Au and 90.0% Ag.”
Tags used in scoring
High Recoverypositive
Recovery at or above the exceptional band for the commodity and processing route.
Why it applies: 90% is at or above the exceptional band (90%)
XRT sortingKwanika · copperHead Grade: 1.1Head Grade Unit: %View all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- copper
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorted Product
Recovery
- Head Grade
- 1.1
- Head Grade Unit
- %
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: Sorted product grade of 1.1% Cu is a significant upgrade from 0.83% feed.
Positive factors
- Significant grade upgrade
Evidence · table
“1.10”
Context: 164
XRT sortingKwanika · goldHead Grade: 2Head Grade Unit: g/tView all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- gold
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorted Product
Recovery
- Head Grade
- 2
- Head Grade Unit
- g/t
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: Sorted product grade of 2.0 g/t Au is a significant upgrade from 1.57 g/t feed.
Positive factors
- Significant grade upgrade
Evidence · table
“2.00”
Context: 164
XRT sortingKwanika · silverHead Grade: 3.1Head Grade Unit: g/tView all detailsHide details
Identity
- Project
- Kwanika
- Commodity
- silver
- Region
- canada_bc
- Reported Region
- British Columbia
- Ticker
- NWST
Test Work
- Program Status
- preliminary
- Test Type
- XRT sorting
- Processing Route
- XRT sorting
- Sample
- Sorted Product
Recovery
- Head Grade
- 3.1
- Head Grade Unit
- g/t
Lab
- Laboratory
- Saskatchewan Research Council
- Consultant
- Canenco Consulting Corp.
Review
- Needs Review
- No
- Historical
- No
Dates
- Event date
- 2026-02-23T00:00:00.000Z
Reasoning: Sorted product grade of 3.1 g/t Ag is an upgrade from 2.47 g/t feed.
Positive factors
- Significant grade upgrade
Evidence · table
“3.10”
Context: 164
How Atlas produces this analysis
Minestarters Atlas uses automated extraction to summarize mining announcements, identify reported measurements, and classify supporting evidence. Sentiment reflects the extracted narrative and classification rules; it is an interpretation, not a reported measurement. Evidence quotes and context are provided where available. Missing data, low-confidence results, and review flags indicate limitations. Check the original publisher announcement before relying on an interpretation.