The VAD-AB property lies approximately 43 kilometres south of Golden. The centre of the VAD-AB claims is located about 1.5 kilometres south of the junction of Crystalline and Vowell creeks.

The region is underlain by Upper Proterozoic rocks of the Horsethief Group including slate, argillite, phyllite, as well as lesser amounts of quartzite, greywacke and limestone. These sediments also contain considerable thicknesses of quartz-pebble conglomerate and pebbly grit.

The present occurrence area was subjected to a geochemical sampling program by Norcen Energy Resources in 1979 and 1980. In 1989, James S. Adamson, then owner of the AB claims, used a caterpillar tractor to dig three trenches. In 1990, trenching was done at four locations exposing several narrow quartz veins carrying pyrite and arsenopyrite. Thirteen rock samples and 93 soil samples were collected. From 1991 to 1993, work included prospecting and collection of small numbers of soil and rock samples for geochemical analysis. In addition, 3.9 kilometres of magnetometer work was completed. At that time, owners and operators of the property were James S. Adamson and Sodi Berar. Twenty-eight soil samples were collected for chemical analyses in 1995. In 1996 and 1997, a total of 204 soil samples, 4 silt samples and 5 rock samples were collected. Three chemical analyses of the rock samples are listed below.

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Gold Silver Lead Copper

Grams Per Tonne Grams Per Tonne Per Cent Per Cent

21.7

2.3 185.5 5.5 1.09

27.41 582.4 24.88

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Quartz veins were observed in the trenches and in outcrops of slate and argillite. Sulphides observed in the quartz veins consisted of galena, sphalerite, pyrite and arsenopyrite. Sulphides were described as disseminated to "near massive".