The Goldex occurrence is located on a ridge west of the Nitinat River, approximately 7.1 kilometres west of the western end of Cowichan Lake.
The area is underlain to the west of the Tuck Lake fault by Upper Triassic Vancouver Group, Karmutsen Formation basaltic volcanic rocks and Quatsino Formation limestone. The eastern part of the area is underlain by Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group volcanics. The Bonanza rocks are mafic to intermediate in composition and are commonly flow brecciated. These are intercalated with green tuffaceous rocks.
Breccia zones within the Bonanza and Karmutsen volcanics contain calcite and quartz veining which form weak to moderate stockworks, often with disseminated pyrite and lesser chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite.
Locally, within the Bonanza volacanic rocks, strong north to northwest trending breccia zones exhibit strong silicification and form quartz veins ranging from less than 1 centimetre to six metres in width and continue on strike for up to 20 metres before being hidden by overburden. Locally, the most massive vein systems are vuggy with well developed quartz crystal growth lining the cavities. Massive to disseminated pyrite and pyrrhotite with lesser amounts of chalcopyrite and trace galena and sphalerite were observed in the breccia zones. A trench sample from this zone is reported to have yielded 31.88 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 21251). In 2002, drilling (Hole NP01-07) of a coincidental soil and VLF-EM anomaly intersected a thick sequence of black carbonaceous limestone which contained a 14 metre interval of anomalous zinc and silver values ranging from 45 to 1522 parts per million zinc and 1.0 to 3.4 parts per million silver (Assessment Report 26830).
The original discovery in the area of the Goldex occurrence is reported to have been made by Wally Deans, who made several discoveries in the area for the Cowichan Copper Company. The area of the Goldex has been periodically restaked and explored by Mr. Deans over the 25 years prior to 1997. The Nit 1-4 claims were staked in 1972 and optioned to Nomad Mines Ltd. with the option terminating in 1974. Terramar Resources Corporation optioned the Goldex property but returned it before the end of 1981. In 1981, Cambridge Development Corporation, which later changed its name to Bridgewest Development Corporation, optioned the property. The option lapsed in 1985 after a reported 466 soil samples were taken and 14 kilometres of VLF electromagnetics surveying done. In 1988, the property was optioned to Goldspring Resources Ltd. who carried out re-sampling of the main showings and a limited geochemical survey. The property lapsed and C.R.C. Explorations staked the BDC 3, Tuck 3, Parker 3 and the Granite 3 claims. The BDC 3 claim covered the area of the original Goldex occurrence. In 1990, C.R.C. completed a 27 kilometre VLF-EM and magnetometer survey and mapped the property. The property was optioned to Tycoon Ventures Ltd. (possibly in 1990) and in 1993, Tycoon completed a total of 17 kilometres of induced polarization (IP) and 9.9 kilometres of magnetometer (Mag) and VLF-electromagnetic surveying. Additional line construction was completed and 608 soil samples were also taken in 1993. The claims were aquired by X Tal Minerals in 1996 and in 1997, 10 kilometres of IP and 8 kilometres of Mag and VLF geophysical surveying were completed. A further 217 soil and 108 rock samples were also taken. In 2001 and 2002, C.R.C. Explorations Limited in conjunction with X-Tal Minerals completed a program of seven drill holes, totalling 1010 metres, to test previously defined geophysical and geochemical anomalies on the Nit Nat property.
