The Keen property is underlain by a package of Middle Jurassic or older (EMPR Fieldwork 1997) bimodal (basalt-andesite and rhyodacite-dacite) volcanic rocks, probably of the Hazelton Group. The host rocks were previously thought to belong to the Cretaceous Gambier Group; however a uranium-lead date of 164 Ma for post-ore dikes at the Nifty (093D 006) propect to the north shows that the host rocks are middle Jurassic at the youngest. The showing area geology consists of mainly tuff, with some rhyolitic flows overlain by tuffs of more intermediate composition with interbedded fine-grained epiclastic rocks. These rocks contain minor amounts of chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena. Disseminated to massive pyrite is common. The geology is correlative with the Nifty prospect a few kilometres to the north.
The Keen claims were staked as part of the exploration work on the Nifty showing by United Mineral Services in 1977. Mapping, geochemistry sampling and ground electromagnetic surveys were done on the Keen claims in 1977 and 1978.
In 1980 Riocanex optioned the Nifty and Keen from Dimac Resource Corporation and conducted detailed mapping in the area. Rio Tinto conducted further geochemical work on the Keen claims in 1980 and identified the 'Keen anomaly', consisting of coincident anomalous values of copper, lead, zinc, silver, arsenic and iron. Pyritic malachite stained felsic volcanic rocks outcrop on a canyon cliff face 300 metres west along strike of this anomaly. Imperial Metals conducted further geochemical work on the Keen in 1984.
Eastfield Resources undertook geochemical surveys and geological mapping on the Cutfinger and Westside claims in 1993 (Assessment Report 23031), which lie north and west of the Keen claims, between the Keen and Nifty properties. The geology is dominated by felsic to mafic volcanic rocks which are intruded by a variety of dikes. Work continued in 1994 (Assessment Report 23565), with sampling and prospecting of a soil anomaly on the Cutfinger claims on each side of the Noosegulch River, to look at volcanic textures and determine the extent of an hydrothermal alteration zone. They noted 'stringer' style chalcopyrite mineralization, and established a hydrothermal zone at least 700 metres by 350 metres. Geologists mapped unsorted breccias west of Noosegulch River, broad pervasive silicification and a large volume of rhyolite porphyry intrusions. They observed epigenetic mineralization, but also a multi-element geochemical signature (copper, zinc, lead, silver) may represent stringer-type mineralization in a volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit.
In 1997, Wildrose Resources Ltd. of the Eastfield Group, acquired the Thunderbird property, (which includes the Nifty, Keen, Cutfinger, and Jamtart (093D 023) occurrences). Gerry Ray of the B.C. Geological Survey visited the Thunderbird claims in 1997 and released a report in February 1998 (EMPR Fieldwork 1997) in which he noted similarities between the depositional environment and time of the N ifty showing to that of the Eskay Creek deposit (104B 008) in northern B.C. Wildrose Resources Ltd. planned an aggressive exploration program for the Thunderbird property in 1998. The T-Bird 1-4, Thunder, and Bird claims are held in good standing by Wildrose Resources Ltd. of Vancouver until October 1999.
