Hidden Lake Lithium mentioned at number 5.

Five NWT Projects Destined to be a part of Canada’s Critical Mineral Supply Chain

Essential to renewable energy and clean technology — for everything from batteries to magnets, solar and wind — minerals like Lithium, Cobalt, Zinc, Copper and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are now also considered to be critical to Canada’s economic security.

But supply chains globally are finding it a challenge to source these critical minerals. Here are five projects that are in early mining and advanced exploration phases; and have the potential to place the Northwest Territories at the forefront as a North American supplier.


Nechalacho MIne — Cheetah Resources — Rare Earth Elements

Mining for Rare Earth Elements (REE) is underway at the Nechalacho deposit at Thor Lake. This summer will see Cheetah Resources mine rare earth concentrate for the second time at the site located 100 km Southeast of Yellowknife. The mine aims to yield 5,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides annually by 2025. The mixed rare earth oxides from Nechalacho could be produced at low costs rivaled only by China. The company is building a processing plant in Saskatoon to further refine rare earth concentrate from its NWT project.

NICO Project — Fortune Minerals Ltd. — Cobalt, Gold, Bismuth, Copper

Fortune Minerals Ltd.’s NICO Project is recognized as one of the most advanced Cobalt development assets outside of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With more than $130 million invested in the project to date, the company says it is shovel ready to build itself as a primary Canadian producer of Cobalt, Gold, Bismuth, Copper from reserves that could last up to 20 years. For now Fortune Minerals is working to finance a mine and mill in the NWT and a processing plant in Alberta. Located near the community of Whati in the Tłı̨chǫ region, the newly opened Tłı̨chǫ highway means that once a 50-kilometer road is built from the mine to Whati, the product can be trucked to railways at Enterprise and Hay River.

Osisko Metals — Pine Point Mining Camp — Zinc, Lead

Pine Point is an old mine looking for a new chance at life after a fresh look at the site’s deposits found the area still holds a large near-surface resource base, including 47 known Lead-Zinc deposits. Located between Hay River to the west and Fort Resolution to the east, the mine was closed in the late 80s and is still in the early stages of being reopened by Osisko Metals. The project is undergoing environmental assessment while also focusing on additional exploration, infill drilling and water management. The company plans to have a new mineral resource estimate and feasibility study when a current drilling pilot finishes in 2023. For now, it’s releasing an updated preliminary economic assessment this year.

NorZinc Ltd. — Prairie Creek Project — Zinc, Silver

NorZinc Ltd. is still scouting out financing for early stage exploration at the Prairie Creek Zinc and Silver project. But for this summer it’s planning a 5,300 meter surface exploration drill program. Exploration efforts are projecting a mine life of 20 years, up from a previous projection of 15 years. That’s at a rate of 2,400 metric tons per day. Because the mine is situated inside Canada's Nahanni National Park Reserve, permitting is rigorous and the company is facing setbacks to the building of an all-season access road. It’s early days for Prairie Creek, but the Zinc is high grade and having silver in the mix makes for favourable geological conditions.

Formost Lithium Resources and Technology Ltd. — Hidden Lake — Lithium

The Hidden Lake Lithium Property is host to numerous Lithium-bearing spodumene pegmatite dykes, located just 45 km northeast from Yellowknife on the Ingraham Trail. So far it has targeted drilling at four of those dykes, drilling ten holes to a depth of 1,079 meters. Under direction from a new president and CEO, Formost Lithium Resources and Technology Ltd. (formerly known as FAR Resources) is mobilizing a drill rig at Hidden Lake. It plans to drill to depths of at least 1,100 meters to confirm deeper mineral continuity of the in-demand battery metal. Future exploration by the company will show the grade and tonnage of the resource.

The Hidden Lake Lithium tenements are here: https://www.maps.geomatics.gov.nt.ca/Html5Viewer_PROD/index.html?viewer=NWT_MTV

The neighbour on west side is RGV Lithium Exploration Inc & they have heaps of water on their tenements.



RGV Lithium Explorations Inc. (RGV Lithium) plans to continue exploration efforts in our mineral claims in the Yellowknife area. It is our intention to initiate
a drilling program in 2023, for which we require a Type A Land Use Permit. The Project will include continued surface geological mapping and sampling, and a drill program. We hope to initiate drilling in August 2023.

Neighbour on the east is Voyageur Exploration Ltd.
https://www.voyageurexploration.ca/company

Both are private Canadian companies.

A pic of the Hidden Lake Lithium area.