The White Rock (L.4023) occurrence no. 1 adit is located at an elevation of 1010 metres on a west-facing slope, approximately 2.1 kilometres south-southwest of the southwest end of North Barriere Lake. Another adit (White Rock no. 2) is reported to be located a short distance to the south at an elevation of 1045 metres.

The area is underlain by the Lower Cambrian Eagle Bay assemblage including the Tshinakin Limestone member and greenschist metamorphic rocks of the Johnson Lake unit. The rocks include calcareous chlorite schist and fragmental schist derived from mafic to intermediate volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. The limestone is massive, light grey and finely crystalline.

Several parallel quartz veins of variable dimension, trending north-south and dipping steeply east, carry scattered patches of galena and tetrahedrite with minor azurite and malachite. The veins occur within the schists and limestone and are associated with a north-trending, steeply dipping fault zone. Strong argillic alteration is associated with the fault zones.

Early workings, in the 1920s, on the White Rock (L.4023) crown grant are reported to have identified a 150-metre wide belt of limestone hosting a series of quartz veins and stringers. Four of the quartz veins are reported to be greater than 0.3 metre in width, whereas another 0.45-metre vein with ‘heavy silver-lead’ mineralization is reported near the southeast end of the Crown grant and is reported to carry onto the adjacent Silver Mineral (MINFILE 082M 069) claim.

In 1927, a sample taken across a 0.20-metre wide mineralized vein section yielded 602 grams per tonne silver and 34 per cent lead, whereas a sample from a small oxidized seam in a tunnel assayed 3.4 grams per tonne gold and 735 grams per tonne silver (Annual Report 1927).

In 1950, a 56-centimetre sample assayed 2.2 per cent lead, 0.8 per cent zinc, 92.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.34 grams per tonne gold (Annual Report 1950).

Later work, in the 1980s, describes at least 20 zones of quartz veining hosting spotty, coarse-grained galena-tetrahedrite-smithsonite mineralization associated with four main fracture sets over an area of approximately 400 by 400 metres. The veins vary in thickness from a few centimetres to up to 1 metre and are exposed over strike lengths of up to 20 metres; the thickest and best mineralized vein strikes from 350 to 020 degrees with a dip of 60 to 85 degrees east. The veins cut dolomite beds, nearly perpendicular to bedding. The dolomite beds strike northwest and dip 35 to 50 degrees southwest and may be inverted.

In 1987, select samples (BK-05, -12 and -14) of mineralized veins from three separate zones of mineralization and former workings spread over an area of approximately 300 by 400 metres yielded 0.70, 1.87 and 0.79 per cent copper, 13.04, 6.86 and 6.98 per cent lead, 3.45, 14.10 and 24.70 per cent zinc, 261.3, 624.2 and 392.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.64, 1.85 and 0.72 grams per tonne gold, respectively, whereas chip samples (BK-06, -11 and -15) from the same locations yielded 0.90, 0.06 and 0.10 per cent lead, 0.10, 0.76 and 0.60 per cent zinc with 13.3, 0.7 and 5.5 grams per tonne silver over 0.15, 0.90 and 2.40 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 16190). Also at this time, other chip samples (BK-07 and BK-16) from a mineralized quartz veins in dolostone yielded 12.7 and 10.6 grams per tonne silver, 0.39 and 0.32 per cent lead with 0.08 and 1.48 per cent zinc over 0.6 and 1.5 metres, respectively, whereas samples of fault zones (BK-04 and -16) yielded up to 10.3 grams per tonne silver, 0.32 per cent lead and 1.48 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 16190).

Also at this time, drillholes W-87-3 and -4 intersected sparse galena and tetrahedrite mineralization associated with quartz veins over an average thickness of 52 metres grading 2.4 grams per tonne silver and 0.12 per cent lead (Property File – Miller, D.C. [1988-04-20]: Summary Report of Exploration Work on the White Rock Claims).

Another area of mineralization, referred to as the Silverboy zone, was re-identified in 2011 in a former trench and is located east of the northeast corner of the White Rock (L.4023) Crown grant at elevation of approximately 1210 metres and approximately 380 metres northeast of the White Rock no.1 adit. The Silverboy zone comprises a massive limestone hosting quartz veinlets and stockworks with massive galena mineralization. Approximately 120 metres north of the Silverboy zone and at an elevation of 1230 metres a limestone breccia with malachite staining is reported and referred to as the Breccia zone.

In 2011, a rock sample (SM11R999) of mineralized breccia from the Silverboy zone assayed 50.4 grams per tonne silver, 0.148 per cent copper, 0.128 per cent lead and 0.299 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 33190).

In 2013, a sample (SM13R2) of mineralized quartz veining in limestone from the Silverboy zone assayed 246 grams per tonne silver, 13.55 per cent lead and 5.34 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 34651).

In 2018, two samples (BR18R10A and BR18R9) from the Silverboy zone yielded values up to 28.8 grams per tonne silver, 0.63 per cent lead and 2.03 per cent zinc, whereas a sample (BR18R99A) from the Breccia zone yielded 13.4 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 38062).

Work History

The White Rock claim was first staked in 1909 and later Crown granted in 1921. During 1909 through 1929, numerous tunnels and opencuts were developed.

In 1984, Noranda Mining and Exploration Inc. completed a program of geological mapping and a 180 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic and magnetic surveys on the area as the Kiwi property.

In 1987, National Resource Explorations Ltd. completed a program of rock sampling, geological mapping and four diamond drill holes, totalling 749.2 metres, on the area as the White Rock 1-9 claims. The following year, and induced polarization survey and ten diamond drill holes, totalling 2054 metres, were completed on the White Rock Crown grant and area.

During 1988 through 1990, Minnova Inc., on the behalf of National Resource Explorations Ltd., completed programs of rock sampling, geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys and five diamond drill holes, totalling 524.6, on the area surrounding area as the Biere property.

In 2010 and 2011, Astral Mining Corp. completed programs of prospecting, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling, hand trenching and 1334 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys on the area as the Barriere Ridge and Honeymoon properties.

In 2013, Astral Mining Corp. completed a further 1121.4 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic survey on the Barriere Ridge and Honeymoon properties. Later that year, a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling was performed by D.J. Piggin.

During 2014 through 2018, programs of prospecting, geological mapping, hand trenching and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling were completed on the Barriere Ridge property.