The RD carbonatite occurrence is located south of Mud Creek and approximately 7.5 kilometres east of the east end of Mud Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Neoproterozoic (Hadrynian) Horsethief Creek Group metasedimentary rocks and derived gneisses. Medium to coarse crystalline sovite and beforsite carbonatite sills intrude the Horsethief Creek rocks.

Locally, a carbonatite occurrence is reported. The occurrence is on strike with the Mud Creek (MINFILE 083D 037) carbonatite and may be part of the same system.

Later work, in 2009, describes the carbonatites at the RD occurrence as dominantly magnesiocarbonatites usually containing dolomite, apatite and richterite. Lesser calciocarbonatites contain calcite, vermiculite and magnetite. Vermiculite was observed to range from 5 to 10 per cent, whereas magnetite, up to 4 centimetres in one dimension, ranged up to 5 per cent.

In 1999, grab samples from the RD carbonatite ranged up to a maximum of 0.0118 per cent tantalum and 0.4703 per cent niobium (Chong, A., Postolski, T. (2011-01-31): NI 43-101 Technical Report - Blue River Ta-Nb Project).

In 2009, a large float sample (68851) assayed 4104 parts per million niobium, whereas five nearby rock samples (67235 through 67238, 68852) yielded from 1229 to 2442 parts per million niobium (Assessment Report 31948). Tantalum values were low with a maximum of 25.4 parts per million.

Work History

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Verity (MINFILE 093D 005) and Fir (MINFILE 083D 035) occurrences, and a complete regional exploration history can be found there.

In 2002, Blue River Resources conducted a minor program of heavy mineral sampling on the area immediately west as the Niobi claims.

During 2008 through 2013, Commerce Resources Corp. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and a 2439.0 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and radiometric survey on the area as part of the Blue River property.