The Red South occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 690 metres on the northwest flanks of Mount Petritt in the northwest corner of West Redonda Island.

Regionally, the area is underlain by dioritic and granodioritic intrusive rocks of the Jurassic to Cretaceous Coast Plutonic Complex. Age dating from the southern part of West Redonda Island indicates 111 to 113 million years by potassium-argon from biotite and hornblende (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 480). Locally, highly metamorphosed greenstone and limestone of unknown group, formation or age are found in diorite. The strata strikes north with a dip of 65 degrees east.

Two later-stage quartz diorite intrusions underlie most of the area around the occurrence: an irregular quartz diorite hornblende porphyry dike and a quartz diorite porphyry plug. The quartz diorite hornblende porphyry is surrounded by a wide, irregular breccia zone. The breccia zone is composed of quartz diorite fragments in a matrix of quartz diorite hornblende porphyry. Chlorite-biotite alteration is prevalent in the matrix of the breccia zone.

Locally, a biotite-hornblende quartz diorite with breccia zones and chlorite-epidote alteration has been intruded by a hornblende porphyry dike. Mineralization consists of disseminated and fracture-filling chalcopyrite-pyrite and quartz veins hosting molybdenite. Drilling has indicated that the mineralization is concentrated in a north-northwest direction and plunges north (Assessment Report 8085).

In 1977, sampling of historical trenches from north to south on the mineralized zone yielded 0.24, 0.22, 0.19, 0.10, 0.28 and 0.21 per cent copper with 0.01, 0.02, 0.02, 0.01, 0.01 and 0.21 per cent molybdenite over 88, 49, 52, 61, 18 and 27 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 06330).

In 1979, diamond drilling yielded the following mineralized intersections: Drillhole R79-3 from 3.4 to 177.5 metres of 0.2 per cent copper and 0.044 per cent molybdenite – including a 121.6 metre interval from 3.4 to 125.0 metres of 0.22 per cent copper and 0.058 per cent molybdenite; Drillhole R79-5 from 2.7 to 221.3 metres of 0.21 per cent copper and 0.020 per cent molybdenite – including a 53.1 metre interval from 2.7 to 55.8 metres of 0.32 per cent copper and 0.025 per cent molybdenite, and a 10.0 metre interval from 160.0 to 170.0 metres of 0.47 per cent copper and 0.005 per cent molybdenite; Drillhole R79-6 from 2.5 to 154.8 metres of 0.11 per cent copper, 0.019 per cent molybdenite – including a 27.5 metre interval from 2.5 to 30.0 metres of 0.23 per cent copper and 0.059 per cent molybdenite (Assessment Report 07346 and 08085).

Work History

1964, the area was staked as the Red claims by J.C. Stephen and a program of prospecting and soil sampling were completed. In 1965, Mastodon Highland Mines completed a program of soil sampling, geological mapping and a 3.2 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the Red claims. The following year, a program of hand and bulldozer trenching was conducted.

In 1972, Teck Corp. completed a 2.0 line-kilometre electromagnetic survey and a 4.1 line-kilometre magnetic survey on the Red claim group. This was followed up on in 1977, with a program of pitting and soil sampling. In 1979, a program of 13 diamond drill holes, totalling 2381.2 metres, geological mapping and a 17.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey were completed. In 1980, Teck conducted a program of prospecting and geochemical (water, silt and soil) sampling on the Bay, Tom and Joe mineral claims to the south.

In 2005, a geological air-photo lineament interpretation program was completed by Brian K. Bowen on the area as the Red property. In 2013, the area was prospected by A.I. Betmanis.

In 2021, Homegold Resources Ltd. conducted a minor program of rock sampling and a 1.5 line-kilometre ground magnetic and radiometric survey on the area as the Redonda property. In 2023, Homegold Resources Ltd. completed five diamond drill holes, totalling 799.8 metres, on the Redonda property. The following year a rock sampling program and a 637.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and radiometric survey was conducted on the property.