Drill Results Map — Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories — home to Canada's diamond industry and the largely underexplored Slave Geological Province — is a prime target for junior exploration companies. Here's how to create a professional drill results map using Exploration Maps in 15–30 minutes.

Example drill results map created in Exploration Maps — Example drill results map exported from Exploration Maps — style your Northwest Territories data the same way.

About Mining in Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories hosts Canada's diamond industry and the historic Yellowknife gold camp, with extensive underexplored terrain across the Slave Geological Province.

Key minerals: diamonds, gold, tungsten, lead, zinc, lithium. Notable deposits: Ekati, Diavik, Giant Mine, Con Mine. Mining districts: Yellowknife, Mackenzie, Slave Geological Province.

The Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment administers mineral rights in Northwest Territories. Claim data is accessible through NWT Mining Recorder.

Getting Mining Data for Northwest Territories

Portal	Formats	Notes
NWT Mining Recorder	Shapefile, PDF	NWT claim data is administered through the Mining Recorder in Yellowknife. Most datasets are provided in NAD83 UTM Zone 11N or 12N depending on location west or east of 102°W — verify the correct zone for your property before converting to WGS84.

How to Create a Drill Results Map for Northwest Territories

For a full step-by-step guide to drill results maps, see How to Make a Drill Results Map.

Import your drill collar CSV (columns: hole ID, latitude, longitude, depth, assay)
Assign the Drillholes layer role
Import the property claims boundary as GeoJSON
Add callout labels to key holes showing hole ID and best intercept
Use Badge Label type to highlight the highest-grade holes
Configure the title with program name and date
Set the Landscape 16:9 ratio for news release figures
Export as PNG at 2× for email and PDF for the news release attachment

Labelling a drillhole with its best intercept in Exploration Maps.

Tip for Northwest Territories: Slave Province properties often cover large areas of Shield terrain — zoom to a scale that shows several named lakes as landmarks, which helps investors orient to maps of remote terrain where towns and roads are absent.

Recommended Settings for Northwest Territories

Basemap: Light or Satellite
Design theme: Investor — Navy & White
Export format: PNG at 2× for investor presentations, PDF (Letter or A4) for NI 43-101 reports
Coordinate system: Ensure source data is in WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

Common Use Cases in Northwest Territories

Exploration news releases
NI 43-101 technical reports
Investor day presentations
Analyst briefings

Frequently Asked Questions

What file format do I need for Northwest Territories mineral claims data?

Northwest Territories mineral claims boundaries are available from NWT Mining Recorder and can typically be downloaded as Shapefiles or KML. Convert these to GeoJSON at mapshaper.org before importing into Exploration Maps.

Who regulates mineral claims in Northwest Territories?

Mineral claims in Northwest Territories are regulated by the Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. All tenure and claims data can be queried through NWT Mining Recorder.

What minerals are typically mapped in Northwest Territories?

Northwest Territories is known for its diamonds, gold, tungsten, lead deposits. Key producing and exploration-stage properties include Ekati, Diavik, Giant Mine. The main mining districts are Yellowknife, Mackenzie, Slave Geological Province.

Can I export a Northwest Territories drill results map for a NI 43-101 report?

Yes. Exploration Maps exports PNG and PDF at 2–3× pixel ratio, suitable for inclusion in NI 43-101 technical reports as required figures. The export includes north arrow, scale bar, legend, and title block — all standard map elements required for NI 43-101 compliance.