The Ketza showing region was previously reported to be underlain by Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group volcanics comprised of rhyolitic to dacitic flows, porphyritic flows, tuffs, lapilli tuffs, and breccia that grades to andesitic flows around Ketza Lake.

On the Newman Peninsula, a recently updated geological compilation from MapPlace shows a central northwest trending belt of Lower Cretaceous Skeena Group (Rocky Ridge Formation) subvolcanic rhyolitic rocks forming a central belt. These are flanked on the east and west by Eocene Nechako Plateau Group andesitic volcanic rocks. Rum Island is underlain by Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group, Telkwa Formation basaltic volcanics.

The volcanics are in fault contact with Eocene rocks related to the Babine Plutonic Suite.

The Eocene rocks consist of biotite-hornblende-feldspar–porphyry flows overlain by breccias partially derived from the flows. Sericitic and propylitic zonal alteration affects the north and central part of the peninsula. Glacial drift covers most of the property and the topographic relief is described as rolling hills.

Pyrite and trace amounts of chalcopyrite occur in fractured andesitic tuffs and breccias. Pyrite and smoky quartz are found in gypsum veinlets on the Rum claims (Rum Island 54°58’, 126°12’). Minor disseminated magnetite and hematite are found in the porphyry flows.

In 1967, electromagnetic and magnetic surveys were conducted on the Jen, Ketza and Rum claim groups by Bayland Mines Limited. This work revealed two magnetic anomalies on the Rum claim near the northwest corner of Rum Island and an isolated third anomaly. Four small anomalies were also encountered on the Jen Group. The Jen Group is situated on the south end of Newman Peninsula and the Ketza Group is situated immediately north of the Jen Group. The Rum group is situated on Rum Island, just east of Newman Peninsula. Induced polarization surveys were conducted on the claims by Texacal Resources Limited in 1970. The survey revealed two zones of increased chargeability within the Newman Peninsula grid and one high-chargeability zone on the north end of Rum Island. The Newman Peninsula zones were believed to contain up to 1 per cent by volume of metallically conducting material, while the Rum Island zone was thought to contain approximately 5 per cent by volume (Property File Cyprus Anvil Baird, J.G., 1970).

In 1981, Noranda Exploration Company conducted an exploration program on the Pen Mac Arch and Hare claims, located on the southern extent of the Newman Peninsula (Assessment Report 10333). A total of l495 soil samples and 27 stream sediment samples were collected including in the area of the plotted location of the Ketza showing. Results of the geochemical survey indicate that there are areas of weakly anomalous values of copper zinc lead and silver in the northern and eastern parts of the property.

In 2012, ten seismic refraction lines totalling 10.7 kilometres were completed on behalf of operator Xstrata Copper Canada (owner Astorius Resources Ltd.) in the Bell Mine Area, the Hagan Area and the Granisle Mine Area (Assessment Report 33965). Resistivity surveying totalling 5 kilometres was carried out n line RL-2 in the Bell Mine site area and on lines RL-4 and RL-5 in the Hagan area, across Hagan arm from the Bell mine area. Seismic refraction line SL-8 was located in the Ketza area.