The Northwest Territories and Canadian governments say they are working together on a new geoscience research initiative involving artificial intelligence that aims to “unlock the North’s mineral potential.”
In a press release, the governments said the initiative will include a pilot project to scan, digitize and analyze existing drill samples from the NWT Geological Survey using “cutting-edge technologies,” including artificial intelligence or AI. The core scans and data will then be made available through a centralized digital platform.
“This initiative puts the Northwest Territories at the forefront of mineral innovation in Canada,” stated Caitlin Cleveland, NWT’s minister of industry, tourism and investment.
“By modernizing how we analyze and share geological data, we’re opening the door to exploration, new partnerships and new economic opportunities – all while maintaining our commitment to Indigenous leadership and environmental stewardship.”
The project plans to focus on drill cores from the Slave Geological Province, an area rich in mineral deposits covering approximately 190,000 square kilometres in the eastern NWT and northwestern Nunavut.
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Caroline Wawzonek, NWT’s minister of strategic infrastructure energy and supply chains, said digitizing existing core samples will help to reduce exploration risk.
The governments said making geoscience data more accessible can reduce environmental impacts – by giving mineral exploration companies tools to “unlock untapped mineral potential” without disturbing the land. They hope it will also attract private investment in the North.
The governments said the project supports a Canadian digital core library, that will digitize and share core samples from across the country.
“By bringing together federal and territorial expertise and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, we are laying the foundation for a smarter, more sustainable resource future that catalyzes investment into Canadian mining,” stated Tim Hodgson, Canada’s minister of energy and natural resources.
