The Ern occurrence is located along the Ruby Range between Obo and Spinel creeks, about 235 kilometres northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.
The showing occurs within the western part of the Kechika Trough, a southward extension of the Selwyn Basin in the Omineca Belt. The regional geology consists of a northwesterly belt of Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group limestone, phyllite and calcareous shale, and Lower Cambrian Atan Group limestone, siltstone, dolomite, quartzite, shale, sandstone and conglomerate (Assessment Report 8984).
Mineralization at the Ern showing consists of sphalerite and minor galena in calcite veins hosted in shaley dolomites and black shale (Exploration in British Columbia 1976). Sulphides are weakly banded and form 10 to 20 centimetre widths. The presence of dolomitic units proximal to the mineralization is suggestive of a replacement origin to the mineralization.
A diamond-drill hole completed on the property in 1976 intersected this mineralization over a 1.5-metre interval with grades of 2.1 per cent zinc and 0.3 per cent lead (Assessment Report 22655).
Several companies (UMEX Inc. and Serem) are known to have initiated regional reconnaissance programs in the area during the 1970s and early 1980s; however, this data is not publicly available. Mineralization on the Earn claims was discovered by UMEX Inc. during regional reconnaissance programs in the area during the 1970s. Subsequent staking and ground follow-up led to identification of a large lead anomaly measuring 365 by 60 metres (Assessment Report 5285). During 1976, a single hole diamond drill program was initiated, targeting ground magnetometer and EM-16 anomalies. Following this program the claims were allowed to lapse.
In 1980, a combined helicopter-borne magnetic and electromagnetic survey was flown over five test traverses on the Fox claims in the Earn vicinity totalling 3.5 kilometres. The survey was reported to have revealed anomalies that provide a target for massive sulphide mineralization (Assessment Report 8984). During 1981, Canmine Development Company Ltd. conducted a program of horizontal loop electromagnetic surveying on several properties in the Finlay River area including the Fox claims (Assessment Report 10150).
The Urn 1-10 claims were staked by UMEX in 1980 and Kec 1 and 2 were staked in July, 1980 in the same general area as the old Ern claim. In the course of the survey, 743 soil samples were collected (Assessment Report 9051).
During 1991, the Earn 1-4 claims were staked over the approximate area of mineralization worked previously by UMEX Inc. The claims were staked by Teck Exploration on behalf of Major General Resources of Vancouver. Work by Teck during 1991 included rock geochemical sampling and geological evaluation. In 1992, the Earn 5-8 claims were staked in June 1992 by Kennecott Canada Inc. under agreement with Major General Resources. The 1992 program focussed on reconnaissance mapping and soil geochemistry in and around areas of known mineralization. A total of 42 soil samples and 2 rock samples were collected during the program. Results from the 1992 field program at the Earn 1-8 claims are disappointing. Mineralization on the property consists of carbonate-hosted lead-zinc. Although float boulders of this mineralization are locally extensive, mineralization in outcrop is generally thin and discontinuous. Soil geochemistry indicates a lack of mineralization to the south of the known mineralization.
