The Bev 97 occurrence is located on a small ridge separating Rice and Rock creeks, approximately 4.4 kilometres west of Little Fish Lake.
The area lies within a complex sequence of volcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Permian to Carboniferous Anarchist Group. To the east, north and west lies granitic and granodioritic rocks of the Cretaceous to Tertiary Okanagan Batholith. To the southwest are Middle Jurassic granitic rocks of the Nelson Intrusions. Eocene Penticton Group volcanic and sedimentary rocks overlie locally sheared amphibolite and serpentinite bodies of the Anarchist Group to the east. For a more detailed description of the regional geology of the McKinney Camp area refer to the Cariboo-Amelia (MINFILE 082ESW020) occurrence.
Near the contact between the serpentinite and younger feldspar porphyry intrusives, the serpentinite is weakly silicified, brecciated and ankeritic with disseminated euhedral pyrite. The bulk of the serpentinite consists of colourless to light brown antigorite, talc, small amounts of magnetite, brownish carbonate, and possibly some chromite. The talc (steatite) body has been traced over a length of 500 metres to the west and over 120 metres in width with a depth varying from 67 to 100 metres, as defined by drilling. A limited amount of talc (soapstone) has been quarried from the site.
Locally, two areas of mineralization, Talc 3 and Talc 1, have been noted. The Talc 1 zone is located approximately 400 metres west-north west of the Talc 3 zone.
The Talc 3 zone consists of silicified banded metasedimentary rocks (greenstone, argillite, argillic hornfels) located immediately south of the main talc body and adjacent to a diorite intrusive hosting several intervals of massive, up to 50 per cent, sulphide mineralization consisting of pyrrhotite, pyrite and probable magnetite. Quartz veinlets and stockwork mineralized with massive magnetite cut by chalcopyrite veinlets and minor bornite are also reported. In 1999, a sample (99-BEV-13R) assayed 0.09 per cent copper (Assessment Report 26133). In 2005, a sample of quartz vein material assayed 7.5 per cent zinc and 405.6 grams per tonne silver, while a sample of the greenstone-talc contact yielded 0.76 per cent copper (Barry Sherman [2005-12-07]: Presentation - Camp McKinney).
In 2007, a diamond drill hole (Talc 3) intercepted a 0.6 metre section assaying 0.371 per cent copper and 0.28 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 29300). Re-sampling of the core, performed the following year, yielded gold values in two previously un-tested sections: 9.5 grams per tonne gold over 0.6 metre from 58.56 to 59.16 metres and 6.2 grams per tonne gold over 0.72 metre from 21.9 to 22.6 metres (Assessment Report 30371). In 2009, a diamond drill hole (Talc 5) intercepted 1.12 per cent zinc with 5.2 grams per tonne silver over 1.0 metre from an argillite mineralized with fracture veinlets of sphalerite, pyrite and trace pyrrhotite near the contact with a diorite porphyry (Assessment Report 31225).
At the Talc 1 zone, quartz veins with minor pyrite host anomalous gold and silver values. In 1999, a sample (99-BEV-1R) assayed 0.202 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26133). In 2005, a sample of talc assayed 0.18 per cent nickel (Barry Sherman [2005-12-07]: Presentation - Camp McKinney). In 2009, a rock sample from the Talc 1 trench assayed 99.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 31225).
In 1998 and 1999, Big Blackfoot Resources completed programs of geological mapping, rock sampling and a ground magnetic survey on the area as the 97 Bev claim group. During 2007 through 2012, eight diamond drill holes, totalling 640.9 metres, were completed on the area as the Gold Hill property.
