NorthWest Reports Significant Improved Recoveries for Gold at Kwanika Ranging from 94.6%-96.3%
Metallurgical Breakthrough Fixes Historic Flaw, Clearing Path for High-Grade Economic Reset
On January 21, 2026, NorthWest Copper reported metallurgical test results from its 2025 program at the Kwanika project. The key highlight is a significant increase in metal recoveries using a refined flow sheet that includes leaching. * Gold Recovery: Increased by 34% compared to previous test work, now ranging from 94.6% to 96.3%. * Silver Recovery: Increased by 37%, now approximately 96.3%. * Copper Recovery: Remains strong and consistent, ranging from 88.9% to 90.2%. * Concentrate Quality: Copper concentrate grades range from 22.7% to 26.2%, with no anticipated smelter penalties. * Process: Improvements achieved through finer grinding and modifying the flowsheet to include leaching of flotation tails. * Next Steps: These results will be incorporated into an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in Q1 2026 and a new Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) targeted for mid-2026.
This news is Material - Positive as it directly addresses the single biggest technical weakness of the previous 2023 PEA: poor gold recovery (previously ~65.6%). * Economic Viability: The pivot to a "high-grade" strategy relies heavily on the gold credit contribution. Increasing gold recovery from ~65% to ~95% drastically alters the revenue model for the proposed underground operation. * Strategic Validation: The results validate management's decision to re-evaluate the project parameters rather than proceeding with the suboptimal 2023 plan. * Resource Implications: Higher recoveries essentially lower the cut-off grade, potentially converting more waste to ore or increasing the recoverable metal in the existing resource block model. * Critical Observation: While positive, the introduction of a "leach" circuit implies an additional processing step (likely cyanide leach of tails). This increases CAPEX and permitting complexity compared to a simple flotation circuit. Investors should monitor if the increased gold revenue offsets the additional capital and environmental bond requirements.
- Company: NorthWest Copper Corp. is a Canadian copper-gold explorer/developer focused on British Columbia.
- Flagship Project: The Kwanika-Stardust Project.
- Kwanika: A copper-gold porphyry deposit. The current strategy focuses on a high-grade zone (Central Zone) and a starter pit (Pit Zone) to reduce CAPEX and improve payback compared to previous bulk-tonnage block cave scenarios.
- Stardust: A high-grade carbonate replacement deposit (CRD) integrated into the development plan.
- Strategy: In 2025, management pivoted to a "phased development approach," prioritizing high-grade zones (>1.5% CuEq) to support a lower CAPEX, higher margin operation.