The Iron River occurrence is located on the north western side of the Iron River, approximately 2.5 kilometres south west of its junction with the Quinsam River.
The area is underlain by massive and amygdaloidal basalt of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation are overlain by limestone of the Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation, both of the Vancouver Group. These are intruded by quartz diorite of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite. Overlying these rocks are sandstone, conglomerate, shale and coal of the Upper Cretaceous Comox Formation (Nanaimo Group).
Magnetite and chalcopyrite mineralization is concentrated at the north end of a northeast trending skarn zone adjacent to the quartz diorite. Normal faults offset the ore into east and west orebodies. Skarn mineralization consists of garnet, diopside, calcite, epidote, pyrite, actinolite and hematite.
The West zone, known as the “Hill” zone, plunges northeast at about 30 degrees and persists to a maximum depth of 50 metres. Surface exposure covers an area of about 80 by 30 metres. A grab sample from a pyrite lense with magnetite and chalcopyrite adjacent to a shear assayed 9.85 per cent copper, 750 grams per tonne silver and 47.8 per cent iron (Assessment Report 13574).
In 2007, sampling of the West Skarn zone yielded from 11.2 to 64.6 per cent iron, 0.09 to 1.57 per cent copper and 0.3 to 14.2 grams per tonne silver from random chip samples, while a 2.0 metre long chip sample (MMR5) assayed 35.8 per cent iron, 0.94 per cent copper and 4.5 grams per tonne silver (Nicholson, G. (2008-12-10): 43-101 Technical Review Iron River Project).
The East zone, known as the “Valley” zone, lies east of the Iron River about 200 metres east of the West zone. It appears to strike northeast and dip 45 degrees northwest. In 1985, drill hole 86-IR-1 encountered a garnet-magnetite-chalcopyrite skarn from 72.00 to 117.45 metres depth, were it was terminated. The section assayed 0.26 per cent copper over 45.45 metres. The final 10.26 metres of the hole yielded 1.7 grams per tonne gold with maximum values of 4.1 grams per tonne gold over 2.03 metres and 4.5 grams per tonne gold over 1.5 metres at the beginning and end of the section, respectively (Assessment Report 15877). Drill hole 86-IR-3, located to the south west of 86-IR-1, intercepted the main copper zone from 100.21 to 151.79 metres depth yielding 0.81 per cent copper over 51.58 metres (Assessment Report 15877).
Probable ore reserves for the two zones are reported as 816,000 tonnes grading 64 per cent iron and an estimated 0.01 per cent copper (Property File - A.P. Fawley, 1962). Drilling by Texada Iron Mines Ltd. in 1965 and 1966 delineated a total of 3.5 million tonnes of iron ore; grade and ore type were not specified (Open File 1992-1). The two zones may have a proven resource of 4.7 million tonnes (3.2 million tonnes of 0.517 per cent copper, 38.48 per cent iron and 1.45 million tonnes of 0.349 per cent copper and 26.46 per cent iron. Metallurgical testing has shown that a copper concentrate contains 1.4 - 1.7 grams per tonne gold and 2.4 - 3.4 grams per tonne silver (WWW http://www.info-mine.mining/properties/Wolf.html).
In 1974, Texada Mines completed a program of geological mapping and a ground magnetic survey. In 1984, a prospecting and rock sampling program was completed by D.J. Brownlee. In 1985 and 1986, Searchlight Resources, on the behalf of Rhyolite Resources, completed a program of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and four diamond drill holes, totalling 476.1 metres. In 1995 and 1996, Aurizon Mines completed programs of prospecting, rocks sampling and a ground electromagnetic survey on the area. In 2008, Crazy Horse Resources, on the behalf of Madman Mining Company, completed a airborne magnetic/electromagnetic survey on the area as the Mag claims.
