Complexly deformed metasediments of the Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic Snowshoe and Cariboo groups comprise the rocks in the area. At the Cunningham Creek Barite occurrence, the rock units strike northwesterly with steep northeasterly dips. Faults strike north to northeast. The oldest rocks on the property consist of dark siltstone, quartzite and shale of the Midas Formation of the Upper Proterozoic to Lower Cambrian Cariboo Group. Marble of the Permian Bralco succession of the Proterozoic to Early Paleozoic Snowshoe Group has also been observed. The youngest rocks are black siltstone, argillite, phyllite and micaceous quartzite of the Hardscrabble Mountain succession of the Snowshoe Group, and is the host for barite.
The barite is 2 to 2.5 metres thick, thick bedded to massive. It strikes northwest and dips 65 degrees northeast and is very pale grey to cream coloured (D. Hora, S. Butrenchuk, personal communication, 1993).
In 1995, with Explore B.C. Program support, Miner River Resources Ltd. carried out a soil geochemical survey and diamond drilled 677 metres in 7 holes to test the property's potential for sedimentary exhalative silver-lead-zinc mineralization. Although a favourable environment appears to be present, drilling was disappointing and intersected much faulting (Explore B.C. Program 95/96 - M53).
Work in 1976 in the area led to recognition of an 8-kilometre belt of shales, phyllites and limestones in the vicinity of Roundtop Mountain containing conformable bodies of galena, pyrite, sphalerite and barite. One hundred and forty-one claims known collectively as the Cunningham Creek Claims, were subsequently staked or optioned by Riocanex. In 1977, Riocanex conducted soil sampling and geophysical orientation traverses were carried out using both Maxmin and Double Dipole EM, Self Potential meter and magnetometer instruments. A backhoe was used to dig 1.6 kilometres of trenches across geochemical anomalies and sulphide showings, and two diamond-drill holes totalling 94 metres were directed at a coincident geochemical and geophysical anomaly. In 1978, Riocanex continued exploration with a programme that included 934.4 metres of diamond drilling in ten holes at the A Zone, the Vic-Beamish area, the X Anomaly and the Bralco showing; 2295 metres of backhoe trenching, most of which was directed at targets on the west flanks of Roundtop Mountain; 1200 metres of trenching with a D8 Caterpillar bulldozer at the A Zone; 3158 geochemical soil samples, and detailed geological mapping of the A Zone and trenches elsewhere.
