The Lara occurrence is located on Solly Creek, approximately 5.5 kilometres southwest of Holyoak Lake.

The occurrence is a volcanogenic polymetallic massive sulphide deposit located in the Cowichan uplift, one of three geanticlinal uplifts that expose Paleozoic volcanic and sedimentary rocks on Vancouver Island. The Paleozoic rocks are intruded by mafic sills (informally called the Mount Hall Gabbro) that are coeval with overlying basaltic volcanics of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). All of these sequences have been subsequently intruded by granodioritic stocks of the Lower to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite (formerly the Island Intrusions). Upper Cretaceous sediments of the Nanaimo Group lie unconformably on the older sequences. The geology of the Paleozoic rocks has undergone re-interpretation, and the stratigraphy has been re-assigned to several new formations of a redefined Sicker Group and to the Buttle Lake Group (formerly the upper part of the Sicker Group).

The Buttle Lake Group consists of: (1) the Lower Permian(?) St. Mary's Lake Formation, composed of volcanic sandstone, conglomerate, argillites and turbidites; (2) the Upper Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian Mount Mark Formation (formerly Buttle Lake Formation), consisting of massive crinoidal limestone, bedded limestone, marble, chert and argillite; and (3) the Mississippian to Pennsylvanian Fourth Lake Formation (formerly Cameron River Formation, and equivalent to the upper parts of the Myra Formation of Muller), made up of mostly thinly-bedded, often cherty sediments that include ribbon chert, argillite, crinoidal limestone, intercalated sandstone, siltstone and argillite, epiclastic sandstone and conglomerate, thickly bedded tuffite, lithic tuffite, laminated cherty tuff, heterolithic lapilli tuff and breccia.

The Sicker Group, from youngest formation to oldest, consists of: (1) the Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge Formation (the equivalent of lower parts of the Myra Formation of Muller), consisting of thickly bedded tuffite and lithic tuffite, feldspar-crystal tuff, heterolithic lapilli tuff and breccia, rhyolite, dacite, laminated tuff and chert; (2) the Devonian Nitinat Formation, comprising pyroxene-feldspar phyric agglomerate, breccia and lapilli tuff, massive and pillowed flows, massive tuffite and lithic tuffite, laminated tuff and chert; and (3) the Devonian Duck Lake Formation (ascribed to the Karmutsen Formation by Muller), made up of pillowed and massive basaltic flows and, monolithic basalt breccias and pillow breccias, chert, jasper and cherty tuff, felsic tuffs and lapilli tuff, massive dacite and rhyolite.

The geology of the Duncan area to the southeast differs, however, in that the McLaughlin Ridge Formation is dominated by volcanics with only minor tuffaceous sediments. The volcanics are predominantly intermediate to felsic pyroclastics, commonly feldspar-crystal lapilli tuffs and heterolithic lapilli tuffs and breccias. A thick package of quartz-crystal, quartz-feldspar-crystal and fine dust tuffs is developed in the Chipman Creek-Mount Sicker area and is host to the massive sulphides. This package thins to the west, where it interfingers with andesitic lapilli tuffs and breccias. It appears to be stratigraphically high within the formation. A distinctive maroon schistose heterolithic breccia and lapilli tuff forms the uppermost unit within the McLaughlin Ridge Formation and is seen in the Chipman Creek-Rheinhart Creek area. Most contacts with overlying sediments are faulted.

Southern Vancouver Island has undergone a complex tectonic history involving at least six major deformational events, often rejuvenating previous structures (Fieldwork 1987, page 87). The area is dominated by the effects of Neogene-Paleogene west-northwest–trending thrusting, which has cut the Cowichan uplift into several slices. Where exposed, these are high-angle reverse faults that dip between 45 and 90 degrees to the north-northeast, paralleling earlier formed axial foliation in the Sicker Group rocks. Slip planes are relatively sharp and narrow, though wide schistose zones have formed in receptive lithologies. The thrusts generally place older rocks over younger and become listric at mid-crustal depth. Displacements along the faults are unknown but are probably small, on the order of 1 to 10 kilometres. Direction of motion is also unknown.

The metamorphic grade is generally quite low but increases with age and structural position of the rocks. Nanaimo Group sediments are essentially unmetamorphosed. Basalts of the Karmutsen Formation show characteristics and alteration assemblages typical of the prehnite-pumpellyite facies. Intrusive rocks are unaltered. Sediments of the Fourth Lake Formation are essentially unmetamorphosed except where involved in intense shearing. Volcanic rocks of the McLaughlin Ridge and Nitinat formations in the Chipman Creek to Maple Mountain belt, however, show the effects of greenschist facies metamorphism. The felsic volcanic rocks develop sericite, talc and chlorite along foliation planes and are interbedded with minor chlorite schists. Intermediate to mafic rocks have chloritic schistose matrixes with epidote alteration of feldspars. Lithic lapilli may show almost complete replacement by epidote.

The Lara property is underlain by the McLaughlin Ridge Formation, which has been thrust over younger rocks of the Fourth Lake Formation and Nanaimo Group by the Fulford fault, a regional west-northwest–trending fault that dips at approximately 47 degrees and crosscuts bedding in the volcanic rocks at a shallow angle. The McLaughlin Ridge Formation consists of north-dipping, west-northwest–striking rhyolitic to andesitic rocks. Bedding in the rocks generally dips steeply at 60 to 75 degrees north, although dips of between 30 and 45 degrees are common between Humbird and Silver creeks. The Fourth Lake Formation south of the Fulford fault consists of basal pebble conglomerate and volcaniclastic units grading upward into a sandstone-argillite series and then to an upper argillite series with siltstone and chert interbeds. The Nanaimo Group, which unconformably overlies the Fourth Lake Formation, includes basal conglomerates, sandstone and fossil-bearing mudstone.

The strata on the property is cut by a number of mafic intrusions that are probably feeders to the Karmutsen Formation. The intrusions are composed of medium- to coarse-grained diabase, gabbro and leucogabbro with minor diorite. They are commonly porphyritic, with feldspar phenocrysts often forming glomero-porphyritic clusters up to 3 centimetres in diameter. Mafic phenocrysts are generally absent. Equigranular gabbros are also common. The intrusive bodies also vary in form. Sill-like bodies are generally subconcordant with bedding but also may follow foliation where this is strongly developed. As a result of this they can show a variety of attitudes from shallow dipping to vertical. They may range in thickness from a few metres to 200 metres. Discordant dikes are also common, varying from 10 to 20 centimetres in width.

Also occurring are a number of quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes. These dikes, related to the Upper Devonian Saltspring Intrusive Suite (formerly Saltspring Intrusions and Tyee Intrusions), are coeval with the felsic volcanics of the McLaughlin Ridge Formation. The porphyries are usually well foliated and sometimes difficult to distinguish from crystal tuffs.

The package of rocks that hosts the Lara deposits has been extensively tested by drilling. It consists of an andesitic sequence referred to as the ‘Green Volcaniclastic Sequence’, overlying rhyolite that is host to the massive sulphides. The rhyolite has been subdivided into two units, referred to as the ‘Rhyolite Sequence’ and the ‘Footwall Sequence’; the latter underlies the lowermost sulphide sequence.

The Green Volcaniclastic Sequence is greater than 250 metres thick and dominated by fragmental rocks of intermediate composition. The sequence grades from coarse-grained locally silicified andesite at the base to relatively fine-grained dacite tuff at the top. Thin argillite beds and laminae occur throughout the unit. An important argillite marker, locally greater than 1 metre thick, occurs in the transition zone from andesite to dacite. The contact between the Green Volcaniclastic and Rhyolite sequences is generally abrupt and is characterized by pronounced changes in colour, lithology and grain size. The contact is commonly accentuated by a well-developed gouge, which may indicate a splay off the Fulford fault.

The Rhyolite Sequence hosts the polymetallic zones along the Coronation trend and is up to 75 metres thick. The sequence is lithologically uniform and consists predominantly of light grey, fine- to coarse-grained rhyolite crystal and ash tuff. Quartz eyes are commonly present but are generally small (less than 2 millimetres) and make up less than 10 per cent of the rock. These rocks are usually siliceous and cherty. Black argillite and buff-coloured volcanic mudstone beds are a common constituent of the sequence, typically ranging from less than 1 millimetre up to several millimetres in thickness. Argillite beds up to approximately 1 metre thick occur locally in the immediate footwall of the Coronation zone.

The Footwall Sequence, like the Rhyolite Sequence, is dominated by light grey rhyolites, but is characterized by the presence of coarse-grained massive quartz porphyry units up to 40 metres thick. These rocks are texturally variable but distinguishable by the presence of abundant large quartz eyes. Feldspar porphyry dikes, rhyolite dikes, rhyolite breccia and mudstone and argillite beds are also present.

The Lara deposit includes three polymetallic zones known as the Coronation, Coronation Extension and Hanging Wall zones. The deposits are classified as Kuroko-type massive sulphides and are volcanic-hosted, stratiform accumulations of copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold. Although classified as massive sulphides, the predominant facies consist of bands, laminae and stringers of sulphide minerals in a strongly silicified rhyolite host. The massive sulphide facies comprises approximately 20 per cent of the reserve.

The thickest, most extensive of these deposits is the Coronation zone, which occurs primarily to the west of Solly Creek. The Coronation Extension zone, which occurs to the east of Solly Creek, is generally narrower and less continuous but typically consists of high-grade massive sulphides. The Hanging Wall zone has only been recognized to the west of Solly Creek and is clearly at a different stratigraphic level than the other two. Although the zone locally attains ore grade it is somewhat sporadic. The Coronation deposits occur in the Rhyolite Sequence immediately north of the Fulford fault. The deposits strike west-northwest, dip to the north at 60 degrees and exhibit considerable variation in both thickness and grade. Intercepts are up to 16 metres thick and average approximately 6 metres. One massive sulphide lens exposed by trenching in the Coronation zone graded 24.58 grams per tonne gold, 513.60 grams per tonne silver, 3.04 per cent copper, 43.01 per cent zinc and 8.30 per cent lead over 3.51 metres (Bailes et al., 1987).

The Coronation deposits can be divided into a massive sulphide facies, a banded and laminated facies and a stringer facies. The sulphide mineralogy of these facies is similar and consists primarily of sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena and pyrite. Minor amounts of tetrahedrite and tennantite have also been noted. Minerals present in trace amounts include rutile, bornite, electrum, pearceite, arsenopyrite and barite. Gangue consists mainly of quartz and calcite with smaller amounts of muscovite, feldspar and barium-bearing feldspar. Sphalerite in the massive sulphide facies is typically medium to dark brown, as opposed to the very pale brown sphalerite characteristic of the other facies.

The massive sulphide facies is a relatively coarse-grained massive intergrowth of sulphide minerals and gangue (predominantly calcite). Interbeds of rhyolite or sedimentary rock are rare, although small siliceous pods may be included in the sulphide mass. This facies occasionally exhibits a banded texture, which is best represented by chalcopyrite-rich bands of 1 to 2 centimetres. Local accumulations of massive pyrite occur. These are commonly barren but may contain significant gold or zinc values. The massive sulphide facies are consistently high-grade except for the massive pyrite sections.

The predominant facies of the Coronation deposits is the banded and laminated facies, which consists of sulphide laminae and bands up to a few centimetres thick in a siliceous host. The hostrock varies from a silicified rhyolite to very fine-grained siliceous mass with various amounts of felsic tuffaceous debris. The mineralization is broadly conformable; however, crosscutting features are common within the conformable zones. Crosscutting mineralization varies from occasional sulphide stringers to well-developed breccia zones with sulphides in the matrix. Sulphides also occur disseminated in the rhyolite host. Primary textures are masked by pronounced cataclastic overprint. Although these features to some extent mask the primary depositional style, the overall stratiform character of the facies is demonstrated by the presence of sedimentary units, which enclose and occur within the deposit and can be correlated over considerable distances.

The banded and laminated facies vary up to approximately 16 metres true thickness. Although not as high-grade as the massive sulphide facies, laminated and banded sulphides can achieve significant grade. Diamond drill hole 85-36, for example, intersected 4.18 metres grading 9.91 grams per tonne gold, 82.63 grams per tonne silver, 0.86 per cent copper, 3.47 per cent zinc and 0.50 per cent lead (Assessment Report 14492). These intersections typically contain up to approximately 20 per cent sulphide bands and laminae, and relative to the massive sulphide facies contain a higher ratio of pyrite to total sulphides. Intersections usually contain from 3 to 5 per cent pyrite but concentrations of 10 to 15 per cent are not uncommon.

The stringer facies, which is restricted, is best developed in the Hanging Wall zone. The facies consists of narrow sulphides, generally less than 1 or 2 millimetres, in a silicified rhyolite host. It is generally low-grade but may be thick and is commonly rich in precious metals relative to base metals. A 10.52-metre diamond drill hole interval graded 0.96 gram per tonne gold, 43.89 grams per tonne silver, 0.06 per cent copper, 0.90 per zinc and 0.29 per cent lead (Bailes et al., 1987).

These zones have been traced over a strike length of approximately 2 kilometres and to a depth of 440 metres downdip from surface. The Coronation Zone is likely overturned and disrupted by numerous faults that apparently move the zone northward.

In 2007, a resource assessment of the Coronation Trend was compiled:

1 per cent Zinc Block Cut-off

Category Tonnes Zn Ag Cu Pb Au

(%) (g/t) (%) (%) (g/t)

Indicated 1,146,700 3.01 32.97 1.05 0.58 1.97

Inferred 669,600 2.26 32.99 0.90 0.44 1.90

2 per cent Zinc Block Cut-off

Category Tonnes Zn Ag Cu Pb Au

(%) (g/t) (%) (%) (g/t)

Indicated 428,600 5.65 47.04 2.25 1.18 2.39

Inferred 207,900 3.99 37.57 1.73 0.84 2.30

3 per cent Zinc Block Cut-off

Category Tonnes Zn Ag Cu Pb Au

(%) (g/t) (%) (%) (g/t)

Indicated 189,600 9.74 60.85 4.44 2.23 3.07

Inferred 91,100 6.15 40.79 3.15 1.45 2.50

(Assessment Report 29840)

Other zones of mineralization have been identified outside of the main Corona trend and include the 262, 162 and Silver Creek zones.

The 262 zone is subparallel to the main Corona trend zones and has been drill tested over a strike length of 6.5 kilometres. The zone comprises felsic volcanic rocks hosting a distal exhalite composed of pyritic cherts, ashes, and thin, copper-rich, semi-massive to massive sulphides and occurs within 40 metres of the contact between the felsic and the underlying andesite rocks. The best development of exhalative sulphides, cherts and stringer mineralization is found in shallow, near surface holes. At depth, a fine-grained, siliceous felsic ash that is depleted in base metals is hosted in unaltered felsic rocks, suggesting that this zone has limited opportunity for development.

The 126 and Silver Creek zones comprise stringer style mineralization consisting of chalcopyrite in quartz veins hosted by chloritic volcanic flows/tuffs, which overlie a thick sequence of felsic volcanic rocks. Drilling indicates the presence of a gabbro intrusion. The zones appear to be on a more northerly trend as part of the northern limb of a synclinal structure than the main Corona trend occurrences.

Work History

In 1978, Union Miniere Exploration and Mining Corp. Ltd. conducted a soil sampling program on the area immediately north as the Mouse, Bear, Dear, Elk and Pika claims.

The Lara property was staked by Laramide Resources in 1981. In 1982, the Lara property was optioned to Aberford Resources Ltd. (later Abermin Corporation) who carried out line cutting, geological mapping and trenching, ground geophysics and soil geochemical surveys. Sampling of trench 82TR-4 yielded 2.25 per cent copper from a 0.3- to 0.4-metre wide band of siliceous semi-massive sulphides in a sericite-chlorite schist, and sampling of similar mineralization exposed in trench 82TR-10, located approximately 200 metres northwest of the previous trench, yielded up to 1.61 per cent copper (Assessment Report 11123).

In 1983, 18 backhoe trenches were placed over coincident geochemical and geophysical anomalies.

In 1984, a program of trenching, a 22.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and at least 12 diamond drill holes, totalling 1346 metres, were drilled to test a number of targets from the above trenching and geological programs. The last drillhole of the program (DDH 84-12) intersected economically significant polymetallic mineralization beneath trench 83-25, which exposed weak but distinctly polymetallic mineralization yielding 0.04 per cent copper, 0.11 per cent lead, 0.30 per cent zinc, 7.0 grams per tonne silver and 0.20 gram per tonne gold over 1 metre (Assessment Report 15737). The drill intersection, referred to as the Coronation zone, graded 0.68 per cent copper, 0.45 per cent lead, 3.01 per cent zinc, 67.4 grams per tonne silver and 3.45 grams per tonne gold over a true thickness of 7.95 metres (Assessment Report 14492).

In 1985, 61 drillholes, totalling 7437 metres, were carried out to further test the Coronation zone for over 990 metres along strike and to a depth of 160 metres downdip in two phases. The first phase comprised 27 holes (DDHs 85-13 to 85-39) and tested the zone west of Solly Creek over a strike length of 340 metres and downdip 160 metres, with significant polymetallic mineralization being intersected in all but two holes (DDHs 85-29 and 85-35). Three more drillholes (DDHs 85-40 to 85-42) were completed as a major step-out along strike approximately 650 metres east of the discovery hole. Drillhole 85-40 intersected a massive sulphide zone yielding 1.16 per cent copper, 2.53 per cent lead, 9.22 per cent zinc, 294.1 grams per tonne silver and 7.28 grams per tonne gold over a true width of 3.08 metres (Assessment Report 15737). This zone of mineralization was referred to as the Coronation Extension zone. The second phase comprised 31 drillholes. Drillholes 85-43 to 85-70 were drilled to test the relatively large area between the Coronation and Coronation Extension zones, and three more drillholes (DDH 85-71 to 85-73) tested the east grid targets. Significant mineralization was encountered initially in hole 85-44 but most of the subsequent holes interested only weak polymetallic mineralization or pyritic stratigraphic equivalents of the zone. Drilling on the east grid targets failed to intersect economically significant mineralization.

In 1986, a further program of geological mapping, trenching, rock sampling and diamond drilling was carried out to continue testing the Coronation and Coronation Extension zones and other reconnaissance targets on the Lara property. Seventy-five holes, totalling 11 339 metres, was completed and extended the Coronation Zone for a total of 2100 metres of strike length, with significant zones of polymetallic mineralization being intercepted. See Assessment Report 15737 for a complete summary of drilling intercepts. Trenching at this time on the Coronation zone exposed a high-grade zone of massive sulphides in trench TR-86-43 yielding 3.04 per cent copper, 8.30 per cent lead, 43.01 per cent zinc, 512.3 grams per tonne silver and 24.52 grams per tonne gold over a true thickness of 3.51 metres (Assessment Report 15737).

Also at this time, Kidd Creek Mines Ltd., on behalf of Esso Resources Canada Ltd., conducted 72.0 line-kilometres of combined ground magnetic, electromagnetic and induced polarization surveys on the Coronation zone and surrounding Chip, Holyoak 1-3 and Brent claims.

In 1987, further drilling increased the Coronation zone mineralization, extended the Randy zone to more than 2 kilometres of strike length and downdip to 180 metres and tested several reconnaissance targets in other parts of the Lara property. During this program, 83 holes were drilled for a total footage of 15 038 metres along with one backhoe trench over drill hole 87-44, located in the Coronation area. See Assessment Report 17857 for a complete summary of drilling intercepts.

In 1988, the program was extended to include the potential of the Coronation zone and included surface and underground drilling, mine cost studies, and a metallurgical test from a bulk sample of the main mineralized zone. Underground development work included 770 metres of ramping and drifting. The program consisted of 130.00 metres of down ramping to the 600-metre level (at a -15 per cent grade), and a 55.00-metre crosscut to access the Coronation zone. Once the zone was intersected, 212 metres of drifting was carried out to the west and nine crosscuts through the zone, totalling 79 metres, were driven from this drift. To the east of the access crosscut, 91.00 metres of drifting was carried out in the footwall to the zone and three crosscuts, totalling 38 metres, were driven through the zone from this drift. In addition to the drifting and crosscutting in and through the Coronation zone five raises, totalling 105 metres, were driven up into the zone, two from crosscuts on the east side and three from crosscuts on the west side.

In 1989, 43 drillholes, totalling 10 328 metres, was added, of which 6457 metres further delineated the Coronation zone and 3871 metres was used to test other zones and geophysical targets on the Lara property.

In 1990, a further 49 drillholes, totalling 11 167 metres, was completed on the Lara property; 19 holes, totalling 4139 metres, tested the eastern extension of the Coronation mineralization, 26 holes, totalling 6188 metres, was drilled along the 262 zone mineralization, and 4 holes, totalling 840 metres, tested other reconnaissance targets.

In 1998, Nucanolan Resources, on the behalf of Laramide Resources, completed a program of ground magnetics and VLF-EM surveys over discrete sections of the Coronation and Coronation Extension zones, and 12 diamond drill holes, totalling 2550 metres, on the Laramide property. The best intersection on the Coronation and Coronation Extension zones was encountered in hole 98-05, where 4.54 metres yielded 3.86 per cent zinc, 0.5 per cent copper, and 1.01 grams per tonne in gold. Another 0.7-metre section in hole 98-09, located between the Coronation and Coronation Extension zones, assayed as high as 8.09 grams per tonne gold, 225 grams per tonne silver, 1.42 per cent copper, 5.38 per cent lead and 32.3 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 26021).

In 2006 and 2007, Laramide Resources, for Treasury Metals Inc., completed a program of comprehensive data compilation, airborne geophysical surveys, totalling 500.1 line-kilometres, drillcore resampling and a resources estimate of the Lara property. Two grab samples (929 and 930) of massive sphalerite-galena-tetrahedrite mineralization yielded up to 57.13 per cent zinc, 581.0 grams per tonne silver, 3.40 per cent copper, 21.20 per cent lead and 6.91 grams per tonne gold (Kelso, L. (2007-11-15): Independent Technical Report and Mineral Resource Estimation – Lara Polymetallic Property).

In 2009, Treasury Metals completed a program of structural mapping and whole rock geochemical sampling on the Lara property. In 2014, Treasury Metals completed a further program of structural mapping, whole rock geochemical sampling and environmental baseline studies on the Lara property. In 2018, Treasury Metals conducted an airborne LiDAR survey covering 6388.0 hectares on the Lara property.

In 2023 and 2024, Nova Pacific Metals Corp. conducted a minor soil sampling program on the main adit area and a 3D interpretation of a previously collected airborne magnetic survey on the Coronation trend of the Lara property.