NorthWest Copper (TSX-V: NWST) (OTCQX: NWCCF) is pleased to announce that drilling at Kwanika has encountered strong copper-gold grades in holes designed to expand the footprint of mineralization at the Kwanika Central and Kwanika South Zones. These are the first results from 2021 Kwanika drilling that are outside of the Central Zone footprint. Highlights include:

• K-21-223: 137.00 metres¹ of 0.52% Copper Equivalent² including 34.00 metres of 1.30% CuEq;
• K-21-221: 99.70 metres of 0.28% CuEq.

The 2021 Kwanika program focussed on enhancing high-grade copper-gold mineralization within the known resource footprint of the Central Zone. This program was very successful including identification of a new style of very high-grade in hole K-21-217³. NorthWest also conducted a limited step-out program, designed to test areas of sparse drilling around both the Central Zone and the South Zone. To date the Central Zone contains the bulk of the tonnes and grade at Kwanika. K-21-221 was drilled north of the Central Zone and K-21-223 and K-21-224 were drilled at the South Zone.

K-21-223 is a high-grade intercept in the South Zone. South Zone mineralization is distinctive from that of the Central Zone and includes significant levels of molybdenum as well as copper, gold and silver. It is separated from the Central Zone by a fault system and is a little over one kilometer to the southeast (Figure 1). The South Zone was drilled with mostly shallow and wide-spaced holes by our predecessor company Serengeti Resources. Both new holes are encouraging with K-21-223 being the highest grade and filling a sparsely drilled gap. More work is planned.

K-21-221 was drilled several hundred metres north of the limit of the Central Zone resource shape⁴(Figure 2). The target was developed with a combination of geochemical vectoring and a coincident induced polarization (IP) geophysical anomaly. The hole was drilled in a different orientation than the surrounding holes to test a potentially mineralized intrusive body. The long interval of anomalous gold and copper that was intersected opens up a large volume of undrilled material to further exploration. This will be followed up in 2022.

“These results provide additional targets and, importantly, expansion potential at Kwanika,” commented President and CEO Peter Bell. “The southern holes highlight the opportunity around the South Zone, which is much less drilled than Kwanika Central Zone. The drilling by the team continues to deliver high grades on multiple targets, consistent with our high-grade corporate focus. The northern hole shows the undrilled potential north of the Kwanika Central Zone, identified through interpretation by our geologists. We look forward to following up these results in the 2022 program.”

Table 1: Drill Results From This News Release

The drill holes reported here encountered materials geologically like those intersected by previous drilling campaigns. At Kwanika Central, copper-gold porphyry-style mineralization is hosted by intermediate to felsic intrusions and by greatly subordinate mafic volcanic rocks. 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 mostly 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.

The South Zone is hosted by a quartz monzonite intrusion that has not been encountered at Kwanika Central. Mineralization is hypogene and occurs in zones of potassic alteration related to quartz-sulphide veins, and more locally in altered breccias. The South Zone to date is distinguished by higher molybdenum grades than Kwanika Central.

Table 2: Previously Released 2021 Kwanika Drill Results

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. We are committed to working collaborative with Indigenous and local communities to create economic opportunities while conducting our work in a culturally and environmentally responsible manner.