The Archer occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 730 metres on a steep south-facing slope, north of Raymond Creek and approximately 1.9 kilometres west-southwest of Mount Vernon.

Regionally, the area is underlain by extensively faulted rocks of the Upper Triassic Vancouver Group and the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group. The basal Vancouver Group sequence is comprised of basalt flows, breccias and tuffs of the Karmutsen Formation overlain by Quatsino Formation limestone, which in turn is overlain by black argillites of the Parsons Bay Formation. The overlying Bonanza Group consists of a sequence of argillites, cherts, cherty tuffs, volcanic and/or sedimentary breccias, sandstones and basaltic to rhyolitic flows. The overall package of rocks has been broadly to tightly folded with fold axes generally trending northwest and intruded by granodioritic and feldspar porphyritic dikes and bodies of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.

Locally, a pyritic fracture/shear zone occurs in dacite (possibly siliceous andesite) and chert of the Bonanza Group. Pyrite occurs as stringers and fine to coarse disseminations. Some calcite and epidote veinlets are also evident in this zone. Several massive pods of pyrite up to 1 metre thick occur locally in bedded chert; minor magnetite was also observed. The mineralized zone has been traced intermittently by diamond drilling and trenching for over 500 metres along strike.

In 1987, drillhole 87-1 yielded 2.01 grams per tonne gold and 11.5 grams per tonne silver over 7.6 metres (surface to 7.6 metres down hole), 1.82 grams per tonne gold over 1.6 metres (9.1 to 10.7 metres down hole), 2.12 grams per tonne gold over 6.1 metres (21.3 to 27.4 metres down hole), and drillhole 87-5, located approximately 360 metres to the east-southeast, yielded 2.80 grams per tonne gold over 7.6 metres (surface to 7.6 metres down hole; Assessment Report 17164). Other intercepts included anomalous ytterbium, 0.032 per cent, over 3 metres (24.4 to 27.4 metres down hole) in hole 87-3; other drillcore samples are reported to have yielded up to 0.123 per cent tungsten (Assessment report 17164).

Other reports indicate that drilling in 1987 yielded intercepts including 1.65 grams per tonne over 19.8 metres in hole 87-1 and 1.23 and 3.09 grams per tonne gold over 9.1 metres, each, in holes 87-3 and 87-5, respectively (Property File – Nuspar Resources Ltd. (1988-12-22): News Releases - Archer). The holes extend over a strike length of approximately 505 metres in an east-west direction. Additionally, 58 13.6-kilogram bulk samples taken at 5 metre intervals over a contiguous 300 metre area yielded an average of 1.30 grams per tonne gold (Property File – Nuspar Resources Ltd. (1988-12-22): News Releases - Archer).

In 1988, drilling intercepts are reported to have included 4.46 and 3.77 grams per tonne gold over 4.6 metres in holes no. 16 and 18, respectively, and 3.60 grams per tonne gold over 5.8 metres in hole no. 20 (Property File – Nuspar Resources Ltd. (1988-12-22): News Releases - Archer). Also at this time, trench samples yielded up to 5.25 grams per tonne gold (sample CC8-270), and three bulk samples yielded an average of 3.38 grams per tonne gold (Property File – Nuspar Resources Ltd. (1988-12-22): News Releases - Archer).

Approximately 1400 metres to the west of the occurrence an area of dacite/silicious andesite and chert hosts fine disseminations to coarse blebs of pyrite with several massive sulphide pods, up to 1 metre thick, enclosed in bedded chert. The pods contain primarily pyrite with some magnetite.

Historical drilling on this area (in 1964?) is reported to have yielded anomalous gold values ranging from 1.74 to 2.80 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 17164).

Zones of epidote skarn hosting magnetite, pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite mineralization are reported in the headwaters of Granite Creek, on the former Archer 2 claim to the southwest of the main Archer occurrence. Other possible skarn zones are reported on the western flank of Mount Vernon at approximately 720 metres elevation. The exact locations of these occurrences are unknown.

In 1975, a sample of massive pyrrhotite with magnetite and some chalcopyrite from one of the skarn zones is reported to have yielded 0.75 per cent copper and 10.3 grams per tonne silver (Property File - Eastwood, G.E.P. (1975-07-24): Re: Showings on Claims of G.W. Horsman and Partners, Mt. Vernon).

Work History

In 1964, Avallin Mines Ltd. conducted a program of geological mapping, soil sampling, trenching and an unknown amount of diamond drilling on the area as the Wabana 1-2, Buz and Archer 2-5 claims. In 1969, Quintana Mines conducted a regionally extensive program of geological mapping and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the area as the Tana property.

In 1987 and 1988, Nuspar Resources completed a program of geological mapping, trenching, bulk sampling and at least 21 diamond drill holes on the area as the Archer (Good Gold) property. A 9071-tonne bulk sample was planned for late 1988 but it is unknown if this ever occurred.

In 1991, a minor program of prospecting and stream sediment sampling was done on the area immediately to the east as the Muckaway mineral claim by R. W. Neill.

During 2010 through 2013, the area was staked and prospected as the Zodiac, Constitution, Libra and Marigold claims by D. Arbic.

During 2020 through 2024, programs of prospecting, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) and biogeochemical sampling, spectral analysis/remote sensing and a 3.0 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey were conducted on the area as the Cowichan property by Darcy Vis.