Which minerals have been mined in the Northwest Territories?

Mining has been the primary nonrenewable resource industry in the Northwest Territories. A variety of minerals and metals have been extracted from the region, including:

• Gold: Mined at Yellowknife since the late 1930s.1
• Radioactive Ores: Radium was initially produced at Port Radium in the 1930s, followed by uranium mining during and after World War II.1
• Base Metals: Large-scale mining of lead and zinc occurred at Pine Point from the 1960s through the 1980s.1
• Other Metals: Silver, copper, tungsten, and cadmium have also been produced at various sites.1
• Diamonds: Following their discovery at Lac de Gras in 1991, commercial diamond production began in 1998, becoming a prominent part of the territory's economy.12

While the region also possesses significant oil and natural gas reserves, these are classified as energy resources rather than minerals.12