The RICH shear-hosted polymetallic quartz vein showing is located on the north side of the east fork of Rendell Creek, approximately 4.8 kilometres northwest of Lightning Peak.
The showing is hosted by granodiorite and diorite of an unnamed Middle Jurassic intrusion. A short distance to the south there is a pendant of metavolcanic rock of the Devonian-Triassic Harper Ranch Group.
This area, northwest of Lightning Peak has seen extensive exploration since the early 1900s. To the north approximately 2.5 kilometres, the Morning (082ENE022) and Dictator (0823ENE023) occurrences were active in the 1920s and 1930s. To the south, the POTOSI (082ENE024) showing and the Waterloo (082ENE017) mine, located 1 kilometre and 1.6 kilometres away respectively, were active during the same period. Exploration in the Lightning Peak camp has focused on silver-rich polymetallic, shear zone hosted quartz veins.
The Rich showing was staked as the Rich 1 claim by Lightning Peak Mining Ltd. in 1981 and optioned to Mohawk Oil Co. Ltd. A 1982 program of soil sampling, and VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys identified anomalies coincident with northerly and northeasterly structures. This was followed-up by geological mapping, soil sampling, and VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys. Minor galena mineralization was found at the south edge of the Rich 1 claim. This location was trenched (trench number 84-R3) in 1984 as part of a major trenching program carried out over the adjoining Jon (082ENE024) claim to the south. A total of 15 trenches, with a combined length of approximately 500 metres, were excavated on the Jon claim.
The Rich showing consists of a 1.5-metre wide argillic alteration zone in a northeasterly trending shear zone. The shear contains a 90-centimetre wide competent zone of calcite and quartz with minor galena, sphalerite and pyrite. Alteration minerals include kaolinite and sericite. A grab sample of quartz veinlets containing galena, sphalerite and pyrite assayed 375 grams per tonne silver, 6.19 per cent lead and 7.04 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 13319). A 122-centimetre channel sample across the shear zone assayed 22 grams per tonne silver, 0.22 per cent lead and 0.22 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 13319). Similar mineralization was found on the Jon property to the south.
In 2011, Tower Resources optioned the property and completed a program of geological mapping and sampling from outcrops, trenches, and dump piles located near old workings. New areas of precious metal enriched rocks were also identified during this work. The 39 samples, collected over an area of 4 by 1.3 kilometres, average 112 grams per tonne silver and 0.9 gram per tonne gold. Highlights from this sampling program included 2 samples from the Prince showing that returned up to 61.3 grams per tonne silver (http://www.towerresourcesltd.com).
