A marl deposit occurs in Robinson Lake, 9 kilometres northeast of Hazelton. The lake is 580 metres long and up to 274 metres wide with depths rarely exceeding 1.5 metres.
The area is underlain by Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bowser Lake Group clastic sedimentary rocks (mainly calcareous tuff and argillite). The Bowser Lake sequence is approximately 1500 metres thick and includes tuffaceous rocks, sandstone, greywacke, arkose, argillite, conglomerate and shale. Carbonaceous shales and thin coal seams occur at wide intervals throughout the succession. Localized intrusive stocks of the Bulkley and Babine intrusive suites occur throughout the Hazelton area. The strata strike north, dipping approximately 15 degrees west. Granodiorite of the Eocene Babine Intrusions intrudes the sedimentary rocks in the area.
The area of the showing is underlain by fine-grained, medium to dark grey, buff-weathering, homogeneous epiclastic rock (greywacke) that is locally hornblende- and felspar-phyric. These rocks are massive, often intercalated with argillaceous beds and, to the southeast of the lake, play host to a system of sulphide-bearing hydrothermal quartz-carbonate veins.
The deposit is composed of a layer of soft, white to grey marl at least 1.8 metres thick. The purest marl, free of contamination by organic detritus, is found at the south end of the lake near its outlet. The deposit here is at least 3.7 metres thick.
American Standard Mines Limited applied for a lease over this deposit in 1950.
The Robinson Lake deposit occurs in the northwest corner of the American Boy property. Much of the exploration work in the Robinson Lake area has focused on the American Boy occurrence (MINFILE 093M 047) to the southeast.
The American Boy property was first staked in 1910. Between 1911 and 1916, Harris Mines Limited conducted surface trenching and underground development. From 1912 to 1915, small shipments of high-grade ore were sent to the smelter at Trail. In 1918, low-grade development ore was shipped to the Silver Standard gravity mill on Two Mile Creek.
In 1950, the property was acquired by American Standard Mines. Between 1950 and 1951, exploration work by the company consisted of stripping, diamond drilling and underground development. Further stripping of veins was conducted by Pioneer Gold Mines of B.C. Limited in 1952. Later, in 1955, J. Gallo shipped 19 tonnes of crude ore.
The property was restaked by George Braun in 1967 and optioned by Northwest Midland Development Limited. Minor trenching was completed in 1968 and 1971. The property was then restaked in 1976 by Tri-Con Mining Limited and then further expanded in 1981. From 1978 to 1981, Tri-Con carried out backhoe trenching, sampling and limited electromagnetic geophysical surveying.
In 1982, Can-Ex Resources Limited optioned the property. Between 1982 and 1984, Can-Ex Resources carried out a major exploration program consisting of geochemical and geophysical surveying, mapping, sampling, diamond drilling and trenching. Further programs conducted in 1986 consisted of soil sampling, very low-frequency electromagnetic surveying, backhoe trenching and diamond drilling. In 1987 and 1988, exploration consisted of reconnaissance geological mapping, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveying, diamond drilling and trenching.
The ground lay dormant until 2005, when Cadre Capital Incorporated staked new claims over the area. The following year, Golden Sabre Resources optioned the claims and carried out a limited exploration program of rock sampling and soil grid geochemistry.
By 2009, TAD Capital Corporation (later known as TAD Mineral Exploration Limited) had acquired a 94 per cent interest in the American Boy property. That year, Rio Minerals Limited conducted an exploration program of grid surveys, geochemical sampling, geophysical surveying, trenching and geological sampling and mapping on behalf of TAD Capital. Work focused on an area immediately southeast of Robinson Lake. In 2010, eight diamond drill holes were completed.
By 2012, the Sidina property to the north had been expanded to include additional claims covering the Nine Mile Mountain area, including the American Boy property area.
