The Sterling (Northwest Vein) occurrence is located 500 metres northwest of Galena Creek’s mouth on Lower Arrow Lake.

The area is underlain by Lardeau Group metasediments consisting of sericitic impure quartzite, quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist, graphite schist, crystalline limestone and chlorite-muscovite-magnetite schist. The rocks have a general strike of 015 degrees and a 30 degree northwest dip.

Locally, a 0.5 metre wide quartz-carbonate-feldspar vein hosts galena-molybdenite mineralization. In 1981, drill hole 81-5 intercepted 2.0 metres yielding 1.08 per cent lead and 164.1 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 9329).

The area was first staked in the late 1880’s as the Sterling and Hardpan claims. In the early 1900’s, two open cuts and three short adits were driven. In 1962, Great West Mining completed a program of sampling and ground geophysical surveys on the area as the Robina property. In 1966, Scurry-Rainbow Oil Company completed a program of electromagnetic and magnetic surveys and three diamond drill holes. In 1971, five or six diamond drill holes, totalling 612.3 metres, were completed by Nissan Mining and Development. In 1979, Brenda Mines completed soil sampling in the area. During 1980 and 1981, Newmont Mines, in conjunction with Esso, completed a program of geological mapping, sampling and 10 diamond drill holes, totalling 1427.3 metres, on the area as the Sterling claims.