The Kirby occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1320 metres on an east-facing slope, west of Clapperton Creek and approximately 3.2 kilometres east of Hensell Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. The volcanic rocks consist of andesitic and basaltic flows, augite porphyry, agglomerate, breccia and tuff. These are interbedded with minor argillite, conglomerate and limestone units that define an asymmetric, south-plunging anticline with its axis passing through Swakum Mountain. The Nicola Belt is bounded by the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Nicola and Guichon granodiorite batholiths to the east and west, respectively.

Locally, epidote-chlorite–altered volcanics are cut by a dioritic dikes with north-trending fractures hosting disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite with malachite staining.

Another zone of mineralization is located near the Coquihalla Highway, east of the previous zone, and comprises an andesite tuff and diorite hosting quartz-carbonate veins with pyrite, chalcopyrite and malachite.

In 1988, four rock samples (128744, 128742, 128696 and 128699), taken from the west side of the Coquihalla Highway, downslope and to the east of the Kirby occurrence, yielded from 0.140 to 0.890 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 118042).

In 2014, a rock sample (013) from the Kirby occurrence assayed 4.24 grams per tonne gold, 11.3 grams per tonne silver and 0.516 per cent copper (Assessment Report 35097).

Work History

In 1969, Noranda Exploration Co. Ltd. completed a 12.0 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the area immediately north of the occurrence as the Coke 1-21 claims of the Mab Lake property.

In 1972 and 1973, Hesca Development Corp. Ltd. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling on the area immediately northwest of the occurrence as the Kay and Lyn claims of the Swakum Mountain property.

In 1985, Rea Gold Corp. completed a soil sampling program on the area as the Reakel claims. In 1988, Kerr Addison Mines Ltd. completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, soil and heavy mineral) sampling and a 14.0 line-kilometre electromagnetic survey on the area as the Clapper 1-4 claims.

In 2001, John Kerr completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Dart 1-20 claims.

In 2014 and 2015, Pacific Empire Minerals Corp. completed programs of prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Kirby Gold property.