TORONTO, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthWest Copper Corp. (“NorthWest” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: NWST) is pleased to report excellent near-surface drill results from two holes completed as part of its 2025 program at the Company’s 100% owned Kwanika project in British Columbia. Results from the two holes exceeded expectations within the Pit Zone, successfully expanding Pit Zone 10 down-dip, helping to define a newly recognized Pit Zone 12, and indicating that these zones remain open along strike and down-dip for further expansion.

The two holes delivered strong results, intersecting multiple zones of near-surface mineralization, highlighted by an intercept in hole K-25-266 of 59.8 metres grading 0.70% Cu and 0.95 g/t Au (1.57% copper equivalent¹, “CuEq”). The drilling results continue to improve on the quality and continuity of higher-grade near-surface mineralization, returning higher-grade intervals at shallow depths.

Paul Olmsted, CEO of NorthWest stated: “We’re making excellent progress defining higher-grade zones at Kwanika. Results of the first twelve holes of our 2025 drill program are validating our targeting approach and improving our understanding of higher-grade mineralization within the current mineral resource in the Pit Zone. Together, with upcoming metallurgical results, we expect this work to support a higher-quality mineral resource estimate and lead to a more capital-efficient and economically robust development plan, improving on the 2023 PEA².”

These results, together with recently reported drilling results within the Pit Zone, reinforce the Company’s belief that a higher-grade open pit could provide a strong economic foundation for a future preliminary economic assessment (“PEA”). Collectively, the results highlight the potential to further define and expand higher-grade domains within the Pit Zone and continue to support the Company’s strategy of prioritizing higher-grade areas within the existing mineral resource to enhance economics of a new PEA.

Drill Hole Highlights:

Geoff Chinn, VP Business Development and Exploration added: “As we followed the Central Zones towards the north and at depth with holes K-25-265 and K-25-266 we found the zones to be variably rotated across a late fault, referred to as Central Fault East. This has contributed to the down-dip expansion of Pit Zone 10 and the identification of a new zone beneath it, Pit Zone 12. Importantly, these zones remain open both along strike and down-dip for further expansion. Together with recently reported Pit Zone results, these results continue to reinforce our view that we are making meaningful progress in expanding higher-grade zones and improving our understanding of the structural controls on mineralization.”

Kwanika Exploration Program

On April 10, 2025, NorthWest announced a refined model for its flagship Kwanika project (“Target Model”), highlighting three key higher-grade zones: the Pit, Central and Western Zones. These zones target grades of 1.5% to 2.5% CuEq over combined true thicknesses of 30 to 45 metres, to be assessed against a more selective, top-down bulk underground mining method.

The 2025 exploration program is designed to confirm, define and expand on the Company’s understanding of higher-grade copper-gold mineralization within the near surface and underground portions of the current mineral resource. Results from the first twelve holes at Kwanika, including holes K-25-265 and K-25-266, continue to demonstrate progress toward these objectives.

Hole locations for the program are presented in Figure 1 below. Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of the position and context of holes K-25-265 and K-25-266 relative to the Target Model. Continuous mineralized intercepts and collar locations are summarized in Table 1 and Table 2.

Figure 1: Plan View of 2025 Program Drill Hole Location

Figure 2: Cross Section of Target Model at K-25-265 and K-25-266 Drill Locations

A summary of the geological aspects of each hole is presented below.

Hole K-25-265: The hole was drilled with HQ core and sampled on 2-metre intervals from half sawn core and drilled on 246° azimuth at a -80° dip to a depth of 368 metres. The main purpose of the hole was to test the northern extension of the Central Zones and to infill other zones along the way.

At 23 metres, the hole intersected Pit Zone 11, a newly recognized copper zone south of Pit Zone 5. This intersection confirms and infills the zone returning a near-surface, copper dominant mineralized interval over 32 metres (25 metre true width). Mineralization is hosted in a fractured diorite with patchy potassic alteration and irregular quartz veins/veinlets containing pyrite and chalcopyrite.

At 55 metres, the hole intersected Pit Zone 5, confirming and infilling this zone. A near-surface, gold dominant interval was returned over 39 metres (14 metre true width), hosted in potassic altered diorite with quartz stockwork containing pyrite and chalcopyrite. The rock type then transitions into a “monzonite porphyry” interpreted to represent a more complete form of potassic alteration.

At 94 metres, the hole intersected Pit Zone 8, confirming and infilling this zone. The hole returned a near-surface interval over 111 metres (47 metre true width), hosted in moderately magnetic diorite porphyry with quartz, anhydrite, and hematite veins/veinlets with pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization.

At 205 metres, a broad mineralized interval correlated to Pit Zone 10 was intersected, representing a 50 metre down-dip step-out from hole K-25-278. The interval returned copper-gold mineralization over 34 metres (26 metre true width) hosted in a magnetic propylitic altered diorite with disseminated and vein hosted sulphides. The zone remains open for expansion to the east and down-dip.

At 243 metres, the hole intersected another wide mineralized interval correlated to Pit Zone 12, a newly recognized zone. Copper-gold mineralization was returned over 65 metres (46 metre true width), hosted in magnetic propylitic altered diorite with disseminated and vein hosted sulphides. This zone also remains open for expansion to the east and down-dip.

Although hole K-25-265 did not intersect the Central Zone as originally planned, it successfully expanded Pit Zone 10 and contributed to defining the newly recognized Pit Zone 12. Importantly, both zones remain open for expansion along strike and down-dip.

Hole K-25-266: The hole was drilled with HQ core and sampled on 2-metre intervals from half sawn core and drilled northeast on 280° azimuth at a -65° dip to a depth of 251 metres. The primary objective was to test the convergence of the Central and Pit Zones and to infill other zones along the way.

The geological context for K-25-266 is similar to K-25-265, with shallow intersections of Pit Zone 11, 5, and 8 at depths of 25, 41, and 117 metres respectively, prior to intersecting Pit Zone 10 and Pit Zone 12 at depth. Notably, the Pit Zone 5 intersection returned an atypical, elevated palladium value of 0.47 g/t over its 60 metre interval length.

At 141 metres, the hole intersected a mineralized interval correlated to Pit Zone 10, located approximately 30 metres down-dip of K-25-277. The hole returned a copper-gold zone over 34 metres (31 metre true width) hosted in strong potassic alteration with relic feldspars (“monzonite porphyry”) with a quartz stockwork and disseminated and vein hosted pyrite and chalcopyrite. At 162 metres, the rock transitions to a potassic altered mottled diorite porphyry overprinted by sericite-chlorite alteration.

At 191 metres, the hole intersected a mineralized interval correlated to emerging Pit Zone 12. The hole returned gold-dominant mineralization over 52 metres (45 metre true width) hosted in potassic altered mottled diorite porphyry overprinted by sericite-chlorite alteration. At 208 metres, the interval transitions into near complete potassic alteration with relic feldspars (“monzonite porphyry”) with quartz stockwork with disseminated and vein hosted pyrite and chalcopyrite. This interval contains two higher grade sub-intervals, one at 191 metres and another at 241 metres, the latter correlating to Centre Zone 6.

Table 1: Drill Results in this News Release^{3 4}

Table 2: Drill Collar Information⁵

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

Drilling at Kwanika in 2025 was designed and supervised by NorthWest, implemented by InData Geoscience with assay QA/QC checks by Explore Geosolutions. Samples were collected, tracked and an external QA/QC program was implemented using blanks and standards to monitor analytical accuracy and precision. The samples were sealed on site and shipped to Activation Laboratories Ltd. (“Actlabs”) in Kamloops, BC. The laboratory’s internal quality control system complies with global certifications for quality ISO 17025. Drill core samples were analyzed using a combination of Actlabs multi-element 1F2 analysis for low level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES) and the 8-4 Acid ICP-OES analysis for higher level concentrations (4-Acid Digestion, ICP-OES with automatic over limits for base metals and silver). Gold, platinum and palladium assaying was completed with 1C-OES method, using a 30-gram fire assay with ICP finish analysis. In addition, about 5% of the sample pulps are re-assayed at a secondary laboratory to confirm reproducibility and check for bias.

Technical aspects of this news release have been reviewed, verified, and approved by Geoff Chinn, P.Geo., VP Business Development and Exploration for NorthWest, who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects.

About NorthWest:

NorthWest is a copper-gold exploration and development company with a pipeline of advanced and early-stage projects in British Columbia, including Kwanika-Stardust, Lorraine-Top Cat and East Niv. With a robust portfolio in an established mining jurisdiction, NorthWest is well positioned to participate fully in strengthening global copper and gold markets. The Company is committed to responsible mineral exploration, working collaboratively with First Nations to help ensure future development incorporates stewardship best practices and respects traditional land use. Additional information can be found on the Company’s website at www.northwestcopper.ca.

On Behalf of NorthWest
“Paul Olmsted”
CEO, NorthWest Copper

For further information, please contact: 
416-457-3333
info@northwestcopper.ca 

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information 
 This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to statements with respect to; plans and intentions of the Company; proposed exploration and development of NorthWest’s exploration property interests; the Company’s ability to finance future operations; mine plans; magnitude or quality of mineral deposits; the development, operational and economic results of current and future potential economic studies; adding the Lorraine resource to the Kwanika-Stardust Project; the Company’s goals for 2025; geological interpretations; the estimation of Mineral Resources; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future exploration prospects; the completion and timing of technical reports; future growth potential of NorthWest; and future development plans.

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, constitutes forward-looking information. Although NorthWest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information since NorthWest can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in NorthWest’s periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Forward-looking information are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from NorthWest’s expectations include risks associated with the business of NorthWest; risks related to reliance on technical information provided by NorthWest; risks related to exploration and potential development of the Company’s mineral properties; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and First Nation groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in NorthWest’s filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.com). 

Forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the information is made. NorthWest does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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¹ CuEq assumes metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver and 80% recovery for all metals, calculated as follows: [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%))]. The New Afton mine was considered as a comparable deposit and reductions to realized recoveries for New Afton were applied for the purpose of Kwanika recoveries.
² NI 43-101 technical report titled “Kwanika-Stardust Project NI 43-101 Technical Report on Preliminary Economic Assessment” dated February 17, 2023, with an effective date of January 4, 2023, filed under the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com.
³ Estimated true widths based on collar azimuth and dip and the average dip of the mineralized zone
⁴ CuEq assumes consensus metal prices of $2646/oz gold, $4.34/lbs copper, $29.73/oz silver and 80% recovery for all metals, calculated as follows: [Cu+100*((Au/31.1035*Au Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%)+(Ag/31.1035*Ag Price*80%)/(Cu Price*2204.62*80%))]. The New Afton mine was considered as a comparable deposit and reductions to realized recoveries for New Afton were applied for the purpose of Kwanika recoveries.
⁵ Collar coordinates reference UTM Zone 10N NAD83.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at 
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https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7810da4-f52b-4324-a524-fd5c83c82023