The Fran occurrence is located on the north side of Highway 3, approximately 450 metres south of Hiawatha Lake.

The area lies within the central portion of the Purcell Anticlinorium which consists of argillites, quartzites and related intruded gabbro sills and dikes of the Helikian Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup).

Locally, drilling encounter Middle Aldridge sediments to 599.5 metres, where the dominantly quartzite section changed to a more argillaceous interval with fewer medium bedded quartzitic wackes. Sullivan-time stratigraphy was intercepted that carried minor disseminated sphalerite and pyrrhotite and contained two intervals with wispy laminations of sphalerite with minor pyrrhotite.

In 2003, a diamond drill hole (F-02-1E) intercepted a mineralized interval of Sullivan-time from 613 to 629.5 metres. The interval averaged 28 parts per million lead and 0.084 per cent zinc over 16.5 metres. Within this zone are some banded sphalerite intervals which look bedded and assayed 0.18 per cent zinc from 615 to 616 metres, 0.23 per cent zinc from 618 to 619 metres, and 0.25 per cent zinc from 624.5 to 625.8 metres (Assessment Report 27362).

The area has been explored in conjunction with the Vine 1 occurrence (082GSW050). In 1989, a single drill hole, totalling 120 metres. The hole failed to intercept the Sullivan vein zone but did encounter two zones of pyrrhotite laminations from 49.26 to 49.56 metres and from 67.50 to 70.41 metres. The core was not assayed.

In 1993, Consolidated Ramrod Gold completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 1483.3 metres, on the Moy and MR claims to the southwest (Assessment Report 23246). In 1995, a 7.0-line kilometre combined ground electromagnetic and magnetic survey was completed just north of Hiawatha Lake (Assessment Report 23990). In 1996 and 1997, Abitibi Mining completed a soil sampling program and a 27.0-line kilometre gravity survey on the area as the Fran claim (Assessment Reports 25083, 25526).

In 2002, Klondike Gold Corp. completed a drill hole to 560.06 metres (Assessment Report 26776). The following year it was extended to a total depth of 729.73 metres (Assessment Reports 26868, 27362). The hole intersected a stratigraphically thickened Sullivan horizon with disseminated pyrrhotite and sphalerite.

In 2004, a drill hole (F04-1, Fran North (082GSW079)), totalling 974 metres, was completed 1.5 kilometres to the north-northwest (Assessment Report 27808).

In 2013/2014, PJX Resources Inc began a large program of gravity and magnetic geophysical surveying to detect dense subsurface features (Assessment Report 34937); surveying continued into 2016 (Assessment Reports 34082, 34937, 35416, 36347). The gravity survey extended 10 kilometres beyond the West Basin property claim boundaries encompassing several MINFILE occurrences including the Fran (Figure 8, Assessment Report 34082).

Refer to the Vine 1 developed prospect (082GSW050) for related geological and work history details.