Stormlands Mining, a data analytics company, used its artificial intelligence (AI) valuation program to re-examine Whistler, a large gold‑copper porphyry system northwest of Anchorage, Alaska, currently in the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) stage.
Using average metal prices from March 2026, Stormlands’ AI re-ran the PEA model. This more than doubled the previous valuation, with the net present value (NPV) jumping from US$2 billion to US$4.7 billion. Additionally, the internal rate of return increased from 32% to 61% and payback shortened by roughly a year.
According to Phil O’Connell, chief product officer of Stormlands Mining, these findings are a sign that assessment companies should embrace new technologies, "The base case already shows a substantial gold-copper development project, but the real insight comes from being able to test how value changes as assumptions move. Under stronger gold and copper prices, the Whistler model shows a very significant uplift in NPV, IRR, payback and government tax outcomes," he said.
With constantly changing metal prices, these findings demonstrate how fast project valuations can change with the price of gold and copper. It is increasingly important for companies to accurately track mining valuation in volatile markets. The Whistler model is one example of a growing set of resources used by mining companies to predict and assess economic conditions.
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