The Switch Creek carbonatite is located at an elevation of approximately 1650 metres on a west-facing slope, south of the informally named Paradise Creek and west of the North Thompson River. The Verity (MINFILE 083D 005) occurrence is located approximately 3 kilometres to the southwest.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Proterozoic Horsethief Creek Group metasedimentary rocks and derived gneisses. Medium to coarse crystalline sovite and beforsite carbonatite sills intrude the Horsethief Creek rocks. For further information on regional and local geology of the area refer to the nearby Verity (MINFILE 083D 005) occurrence.

Locally, a dolomite (beforsite) carbonatite occurrence is reported in this area. Beforsites in the area are described as usually being buff-weathering, milky white to pale yellow, medium- to coarse-grained rocks, made up of dolomite (± minor calcite), apatite, and acicular amphibole (from pale blue to dark green), with magnetite (can be abundant) and rare phlogopite (± vermiculite).

In 1982, 13 rock samples (634, 635, 706 through 716) from the Switch occurrence area (area 2) are reported to have yielded from 90 to 1570 parts per million niobium and 14 to 350 parts per million tantalum (Assessment Report 11130). No other values were reported.

In 2002, a rock sample (13926) yielded 0.2014 per cent niobium and approximately 0.0536 per cent total rare earth elements (Assessment Report 27131). Values for promethium and scandium were not reported.

In 2005, samples of carbonatite from the Switch Creek area yielded values of up to 175 parts per million tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), 0.23 per cent niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) and 5.67 per cent phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5; Assessment Report 29024).

In 2006, nine grab samples (21984 through 21992) of beforsite from a trench on the Switch Creek area yielded an average of approximately 523 parts per million total rare earths with 362 parts per million niobium, with maximum values of approximately 650 parts per million total rare earths and 1614 parts per million niobium (Assessment Report 29024). Values for promethium and scandium were not reported.

In 2007, two diamond drill holes, totalling 399.98 metres, were completed on the Switch Creek area. Drillhole S07-02 intercepted 10.43 metre of carbonatite and encountered extensive faulting and shearing. No carbonatite samples showed greater than 64.7 parts per million tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5; Assessment Report 30011).

In 2008, three drillholes, totalling 486.33 metres, were completed on the area and intersected a total of 55.52 metres of carbonatite. Faulting and shearing were widely encountered in the drillholes.

Work History

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Paradise (MINFILE 083D 006), Verity (MINFILE 083D 005) and Fir (MINFILE 083D 035) occurrences and complete regional exploration histories can be found there.

In 2024, Capacitor Metals Corp. conducted a program of historical data compilation and interpretation on the area as a part of the regionally extensive Blue River Property.