Resource development has defined both the economic and social realities of today’s Northwest Territories (NWT).

From diamonds and gold to base metals and rare earths, the Northwest Territories (NWT) is one of the most diverse geological environments in Canada. The Slave Geological Province is estimated to be among the highest rated regions in the world for mineral potential, rivaling even the legendary Abitibi Belt in northern Ontario and Quebec.

NWT deposits have produced 579,717 kg gold, 1,640,212 kg silver, 1,819,476 tonnes lead, 4,717,259 tonnes zinc, 7,846 tonnes copper, 5,886,672 MTUs tungsten (to the end of June 2015), and 6,434,400 kg uranium.

By 2023, the NWT had produced over 290 million carats of diamonds. The Diavik mine alone reached a production milestone of 140 million carats in 2022.

The NWT is also one of the few regions in Canada that can call itself a producer of critical minerals. At least 23 of the 31 minerals deemed critical by Natural Resources Canada have been identified and while six projects with critical mineral potential are in early mining or advanced exploration phases, they represent only a fraction of the NWT’s full potential.

The Yellowknife Pegmatite Province, in particular, is a strong contender in the global rush for hard-rock lithium – another example of the undeveloped and undiscovered potential that has thrust the NWT into the heart of conversations about the future of Canada as a global critical mineral supplier.

In January 2023, the NTGS released a compilation of (NWT) Critical Mineral Showings assembled from previous reports and already-published data. Today, new research is under way to evaluate the potential for carbon sequestration in the NWT.

Click below to unlock maps of Critical Mineral Showings and generalized geology for the NWT’s:

Dehcho Region

Gwich’in Settlement Area

Inuvialuit Settlement Area

Sahtu Settlement Area

South Slave and North Slave Regions

Wek’eezhii Resource Management Area