The Dragon occurrence is located northeast of Leighton Peak, above the Muchalat River at approximately 450 metres elevation, 22 kilometres northwest of the town of Gold River.
The area is underlain by north trending Pennsylvanian-Devonian Sicker Group stratigraphy consisting of altered felsic fragmentals interbedded with volcaniclastic sediments. Silicified and pyritized quartz-eye porphyry intrudes the sequence at lower elevations. The Sicker Group is unconformably overlain by Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation basalts. Jurassic Island Intrusions intrude the assemblage.
Locally, two zones (North and Falls) of gold-bearing disseminated and massive lenses of galena and sphalerite are exposed over widths of 3 to 20 metres in silicified and pyritic felsic tuff/chert.
In 1994, sampling of the North Zone returned grades of up to 11.2 per cent zinc, 0.18 per cent lead and 4.3 grams per tonne gold. Sampling at the same time on the Falls zone returned grades up to 3.9 per cent zinc and 2.3 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 24377).
In 1996, sampling of the Falls zone returned up to 19.2 grams per tonne silver, 680 parts per billion gold, 673 parts per million copper, 1.34 per cent zinc, and 7.33 per cent zinc over 2.0 metres. One sample taken from the North zone returned 2.8 grams per tonne silver, 8000 parts per million lead and 4.23 per cent zinc over 1.0 metre (Assessment Report 29189).
In 2011, a 10 centimetre wide chalcopyrite-pyrite-quartz vein hosted along a fault plane cutting biotite bearing diorite was identified in the canyon below the Falls occurrence. A sample (1552519) assayed 0.558 per cent copper and 9.6 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 33308).
In 1985, E. Specogna discovered massive sulphide float on the north side Leighton Peak and staked the original Dragon claims. From 1992 to 1993, Noranda optioned the property and completed a multi-parameter airborne survey, in addition to, geological mapping and geochemical surveys. This work resulted in the discovery of the Falls and North showings, located approximately 30 metres apart.
In 1995, with support from the Explore B.C. Program, Westmin Resources Ltd. completed geological and rock, silt and soil geochemical surveys, and 722 metres of diamond drilling in three holes. This work helped define a mineralized horizon in Sicker Group stratigraphy, two massive sulphide lenses and numerous showings along the contacts between mafic tuffs and flows, and felsic tuffs and flows. Associated alteration includes pyrite and sericite, and sodium and calcium depletion or local enrichment (Explore B.C. Program 95/96 - M97). In 1996, Westmin continued exploration on the Dragon, including geochemical and geophysical surveys and diamond drilling on the Norgate Creek Zone, 2.5 kilometres to the south.
In 2001, three diamond drill holes were completed on the Norgate Creek zone to test a gabbroic dike for platinum group elements. From 2005 to 2007, T.W. Ruks completed programs of geological mapping, prospecting and geochemical surveys on the property. In 2008, Paget Resources completed a program of airborne geophysics on the property.
In 2011, Tower Resources, on the behalf of Sidewinder Exploration, completed a program of geochemical sampling and prospecting. This work identified a new polymetallic quartz vein approximately 500 metres below the Falls (CANYON) occurrences and a new zone of widespread and thick jasper-magnetite exhalite mineralization hosted in horizons and lenses 4 kilometres to the southeast.
