The Mat occurrence is located on a ridge, approximately 5.5 kilometres west-northwest of the northern end of Netson Lake and 10 kilometres northeast of Gataga Mountain in the Muskwa Ranges (Assessment Report 8379, Map 1).

The area lies at the northwestern extremity of the Gataga mineral district, in a broad belt of Paleozoic basinal-facies sedimentary strata known as the Kechika Trough, part of Ancestral North America (Map 38; Exploration and Mining Geology, Volume 1; Geological Survey of Canada Map 1713A). The Gataga mineral deposits are characterized by stratiform sedimentary-exhalative barite-sulphide mineralization, particularly in the Middle to Upper Devonian Gunsteel Formation (informal name) of the Devono-Mississippian Earn Group.

As well as the Earn Group, the area is underlain by Cambrian to Lower Devonian sedimentary rock units; all have been deformed into tight, northeast-overturned folds and imbricated by thrust faults (Fieldwork 1994, Open File 1995-4; Geological Survey of Canada Maps 42-1962, 1712A, Paper 88-1E). The general strike is northwest, and the dominant dip is moderately to steeply southwest.

Mapping in the area immediately to the southeast indicates that a narrow-thrust panel of Earn Group rocks, probably Gunsteel Formation, likely continues into the Mat claim group. This unit comprises carbonaceous and siliceous slate and siltstone and locally contains bedded or nodular barite horizons. It is likely that the barite outcrop referred to belongs to this unit, demonstrating the continuation of favourable stratigraphy. The property does contain gossanous soils with anomalous zinc values, but overall, geochemical indicators of mineralization are very weak (Assessment Report 8379).

Calcareous barite beds, up to 2 metres thick, occur in siltstone. Barite nodules are 1 to 5 centimetres.

A sample of the barite assayed 36.55 per cent barite, 0.253 per cent phosphorus and 0.37 per cent strontium. Another sample, 1 kilometre to the south-southeast, assayed 43.37 per cent barite and 0.53 per cent strontium. This calcareous bedded barite is 1 to 20 centimetres thick and over 2 metres along strike (Geoscience Map 1998-9).

Work History

In 1980, Esso Minerals Canada completed a soil sampling program on the area as the Mat claims. The results of the geochemical survey indicate a scattering of low lead anomalies, and areas of zinc-copper anomalies.

In 2011 and 2012, BCarlin Resources Ltd. completed regionally extensive programs of geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling on the area as the Netson Lake property.