A large limonitic and hematitic gossanous zone occurs on the north side of a prominent east-southeast trending valley that drains west into the Sittakanay River. The Spring area stratigraphy has recently been reassigned to the Paleozoic Stikine Assemblage. To the south, the strata is intruded by a granite stocks and associated feldspar porphyry dikes related to the Tertiary Sloko-Hyder Plutonic Suite. To the immediate north a stock of Later Triassic quartz diorite intrudes.
In 1980, prospecting on the Spring and Reto claims by Island Mining & Exploration Co. Ltd. located an area of heavy pyrrhotite mineralization with lesser amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and molybdenite. Minor silver and gold also accompany the sulphides. Although the massive sulphide lenses have attracted the most interest, mineralization occurs mainly within extensive crosscutting fractures and veins associated with shear zones within the andesitic to intermediate volcanic rocks. Metal banding was noted in some samples, however, it was reported that there was no indication of a syngenetic (VMS) origin for the sulphides. Fifty-three rock and 43 soil samples were collected in 1980. One of these samples was a grab from a sulphide lens which assayed 0.17 gram per tonne gold, 356.6 grams per tonne silver, 10.3 per cent zinc, and 0.12 per cent copper (Assessment Report 9106).
The Spring claims area were later restaked as the Ala group of claims but the only work reported on this group was by owner Georgia Resources Inc. on the Ala 9 claim which largely existed on the south side of the east-southeast trending valley except for its northeast corner which covered a small portion of the original Spring gossan zone across the valley. A soil survey carried out on the Ala 9 claim in 1987 confirmed the presence of anomalous levels of copper, zinc, silver and arsenic. In 1990, Goldbelt Resources optioned the Ala 9 claim from Georgia Resources and conducted an airborne EM-Magnetic survey over the northern half of the claim. Numerous electromagnetic conductors were identified in the northeastern corner of the claim underlain by the gossan. A shear zone containing pods of massive sulphide was located later in 1990 and 11 rock samples were collected. Grab samples of the massive sulphide yielded values of up to 0.25 per cent copper, 0.5 gram per tonne gold and 14.7 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 21085). Outcrop in this area consisted mainly of siltstone and argillite with some sandstone. East-west trending porphyry dikes crosscut the sediments. In the summer of 1991, a Genie EM survey was carried out to ground truth the earlier airborne work. A follow-up drill program began in late September of 1991 when thirty days were spent preparing for and carrying out a single, 195 metre BQ diamond-drill hole on the Ala 9 claim. The hole was targeted to test two parallel Genie EM conductors which crossed the northeastern corner of the claim. The hole was planned to go to 230 metres but site problems forced premature shutdown of the hole. The only noteworthy mineralization intersected was from 57.61 to 59.13 metres (1.52 metres) which analysed 0.31 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 22164). The source for the geophysical anomalies was considered to be pyrrhotite-pyrite mineralization associated with major shear zones striking about 120 degrees and dipping 85 degrees to the southwest.
In the early to mid-2000s, the Spring area was staked as part of the Taku property owned by Optima Minerals Inc. The Spring area was visited and sampled by Optima Minerals in 2006. A total of six rocks and two stream sediment samples were collected in the Spring gossan area. Rocks encountered and sampled were pyritic rhyolite; aphanitic and locally siliceous black rock that is possibly a mafic volcanic but could be of sedimentary origins; limestone; silicified intermediate rock (rhyolite?); and granodiorite. Some faint layering was noted in an aphanitic black rock at one location. A sample (06GPA045) of a pyritic rhyolite (possibly silicified intermediate to mafic volcanic rock) yielded 1220 parts per million zinc, 1.6 grams per tonne silver and slightly elevated values in gold and copper (Assessment Report 29049). A grab of a pyritic aphanitic black rock yield 133 parts per billion gold, 1.7 grams per tonne silver, 630 parts per million zinc and 93 parts per million copper (Assessment Report 29049). Samples taken along the edge of the Spring gossan, while pyritic and locally silicified, were not strongly altered or mineralized but were still significantly elevated in base and precious metal values.
