On the Karen property Upper Triassic Nicola Group volcanic rocks are in contact with the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic Iron Mask batholith. Nicola rocks consist of dark green-grey volcanic agglomerate, light grey dacite breccia, andesite porphyry and tuff, and calcareous tuff. Iron Mask rocks comprise fine grained, green-grey diorite. Malachite, disseminated chalcopyrite and native copper were observed in a diorite outcrop about 75 metres south of a 1977 percussion-drill hole (Q-246).

In 1976-77, Afton Mines Ltd. completed geological mapping, soil sampling (1543), 14 kilometres of VLF-EM survey, 43 kilometres of magnetometer survey, seven percussion holes totalling 588 metres and an induced polarization survey on the Rod and Karen claims. In 1983-85, Afton Operating Corporation drilled seven percussion holes totalling 600 metres to test geophysical and geochemical anomalies outlined in surveys conducted in 1977.