Canada and Northwest Territories Launch AI-Driven Core Scanning Pilot to Unlock Critical Minerals Potential

The Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories on July 14 launched a new initiative to apply artificial intelligence and digital scanning to historic drill core samples, aiming to uncover untapped mineral resources in the North and accelerate exploration of critical minerals.

As part of the pilot, geoscientists will scan and analyze archived core samples from the Northwest Territories Geological Survey using AI-powered tools. The effort will focus on the Slave Geological Province, a vast and underexplored region with high potential for minerals essential to clean energy technologies, such as lithium, copper, cobalt, and rare earth elements.

The resulting data will be made available on a centralized digital platform to reduce exploration risks, support re-evaluation of past findings, and attract private investment. By leveraging existing materials rather than new drilling, the project also aims to minimize environmental disruption.

The initiative supports the planned Canadian Digital Core Library which is a national repository designed to digitize and share core samples from across the country. Officials say making geoscience data more accessible will help accelerate mineral discovery and support sustainable development in high-cost, high-reward regions.

This effort complements larger infrastructure and clean energy investments underway in the region, including the proposed Arctic Security Corridor and the Taltson Hydro Expansion Project. Both are designed to enhance year-round resource access and connect remote mineral assets to global markets.

The pilot aligns with Canada’s Critical Minerals Strategy and broader goals related to economic growth, Indigenous collaboration, and Arctic sovereignty. It also reinforces the federal government’s push to build resilient, low-carbon supply chains that support the transition to a net-zero economy.

By combining innovative technology with historic data, Canada and the Northwest Territories aim to position the North as a hub for responsible mineral development and a key player in the global energy transition.