The Ranier occurrence is located on Rainer Creek at an elevation of 495 metre, approximately 2.7 kilometres southwest of the creek mouth on the Benson River.

Regionally, the area is underlain by basaltic volcanic rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group), which are overlain sequentially by limestone of the Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation (Vancouver Group); limestone, mudstone and siltstone of the Upper Triassic Parson Bay Formation (Bonanza Group) and mixed volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Lower Jurassic LeMare Lake volcanic unit (Bonanza Group). The volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been intruded by gabbro to quartz diorite of the Lower to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.

The occurrence lies within in a southwest trending fault in Rainier Creek, 0.5 kilometre east of diorite and granodiorite of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite. The fault separates grey and crystalline limestone of the Quatsino Formation to the north from argillites, impure limestone, quartzites, and some volcanic rocks, all of the Parson Bay Formation, to the south of the creek. Numerous granodiorite dikes cut the sediments.

At an elevation of 495 metres on the south side of Rainier Creek, a 3.6 metres wide shear zone in argillite, striking 050 degrees and dipping 45 degrees south, contains calcite veins to 20 centimetres wide. The veins host country rock fragments and irregular clusters of pyrite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite. In 1990, a 0.3 metre chip sample (124449) assayed 0.28 grams per tonne gold and 2.13 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 21129).

West of this, on the north side of Rainier Creek, irregular lenses of pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite replace altered crystalline limestone. This mineralization is 1.2 metres wide and strikes 325 degrees, dipping west at a low angle.

To the north, on the Rainer 2 claim, a 0.3-metre thick strata-bound massive sulphide layer, primarily composed of sphalerite, is exposed. In 1988, a sample assayed 42.08 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 18659).

Work History

In 1968, Quatsino Copper Gold completed a program of airborne magnetic and radiometric geophysical surveys on the area. In 1970, Alice Lake Minerals completed an aeromagnetic survey. In 1988, Taywin Resources completed a program of reconnaissance geological mapping, prospecting and a soil geochemical survey on the area as the Rainer 1-4 claims.

In 1989 and 1990, Battle Mountain completed programs of soil and rock sampling, geological mapping and a ground magnetometer survey. This work identified a 135 by 500 metre soil gold-cobalt anomaly on the hill to the north of the Ranier occurrence (Assessment Report 19151). In 1990, Noranda optioned the property and completed a program of geological mapping and rock sampling.

In 2007, Grande Portage Resources Ltd. completed a program of geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and a 1748.1 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey on the area as the Merry Widow and Merry Widow Extension properties. In 2012, Grande Portage Resources Ltd. completed a program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area.

In 2016 and 2017, Bridgeland Minerals completed a radar satellite and LiDAR orthophoto geological interpretation program on the area as the Blue Gold/Merry Widow property. In 2019, Mirva Properties Ltd. completed a rock sampling program on the Merry Widow property. In 2020, Roughrider Exploration Ltd. completed a program of rock, silt and soil sampling on the area as the Empire Mine property.