The Lois occurrence lies within the Insular Belt of the Cordillera, and is underlain by Upper Triassic tholeiitic basalts of the Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). These have been intruded by a small quartz diorite stock of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite. The stock, called the Lois stock, is about 1.4 by 1.6 kilometres in area. Quartz diorite forms the outer portion of the complex and makes up more than half the rock present. Quartz diorite porphyry occupies much of the core of the complex. It is usually well fractured and wraps around or rims the rhyolite breccia core rocks. The youngest rock is the aforementioned rhyolite breccia which outcrops as a lobe-shaped area in the core of the complex. The Southwest Margin rhyolite breccia, located at the southwest margin of the complex, superficially resembles the main rhyolite breccia. The rock is, however, more frequently fractured and cut by mafic to intermediate dikes. Rhyolite dikes are common and are presumably related to the stock.
The most widespread alteration is biotization and is common in all main rock types except the rhyolite breccia. In the main rhyolitie breccia, incipient argillic alteration has destroyed any primary or secondary biotite that may have been present in the original rhyolite. In the Southwest Margin rhyolite breccia, several diferrent alteration types occur over the 100-125 metre length of the outcrop. The most common type is quartz-carbonate accompanied by 2 to 4 per cent pyrite and trace chalcopyrite. The carbonate is siderite or ankerite with traces of mariposite or fuchsite. Argillic alteration similar to the alteration within the main rhyolite breccia is less common.
The occurrence encompasses several styles and locations of weak mineralization. Up to 5 per cent sulphides occur in the rhyolite breccia as disseminations with minor amounts occurring in fractures. Up to 3 per cent arsenopyrite is common in the main rhyolite breccia. This breccia also hosts disseminated black sphalerite in amounts up to 0.5 per cent. Galena is present in trace amounts. Erratic amounts of chalcopyrite and molybdenite occur in the biotite-altered zone of the intrusive rocks. Sphalerite and galena occur in rhyolite dykes on the Lois 15 claim (Assessment Report 2384). Unspecified cobalt mineralization is found on the Lois 5 claim's west corner.
Assessment Report 3034 reports minor values in silver and gold but gives no details. Assessment Report 3035 reports weak chalco- pyrite and molybdenite in basalt on the boundary of the Lois 13 and 15. Assessment Report 6024 reports visible gold in a quartz vein intersected in 1976 diamond drilling. The disseminated and vein copper occurrence at the northeast side of the Lois claim group (Assessment Report 3034) is believed to be the Iron Cop occurrence (092L 228).
A small andesite porphyry about 60 metres in diameter exposed west of the main rhyolite breccia is reported to have yielded 0.15 per cent copper across 60 metres (as reported in Assessment Report 21755, page 28). The rock was reported to contain 2-3 per cent arsenopyrite and up to 1 per cent chalcopyrite. A 3-metre chip sample obtained by Vanco Explorations Ltd. within a strongly silicified carbonate-altered mariposite zone in the Southwest Margin rhyolite breccia yielded 8.6 grams per tonnne gold (as reported in Assessment Report 21755, page 28).
The property was originally staked in the early 1960s by Riocanex Ltd. During 1963 and 1964, Riocanex conducted geochemical sampling, limited geological and self-potenial surveys and drilling exploration. The claims were allowed to lapse and were staked in 1969 by Vanco Explorations Ltd. Vanco conducted geological, geochemical and ground magnetometer surveys over the "Lois" stock and the surrounding area. In addition, about 16 kilometres of induced polarization survey were run over the northern portion of the stock. In the mid-1970s, under a joint venture between Vanco and Esso Minerals, limited mapping and the drilling of a single 214-metre-deep diamond-drill hole were executed. The property was subsequently dropped. In 1984, Brinco Mining Ltd. optioned the property (held as the Bozo 4 claim) from Jim McDonald as part of a larger property extending north, south and east (see Iron Cap (092L 228) and Fang (092L 265)). The company conducted detailed geological mapping near Hart Lake on the Bozo 4 claim and reconnaisance mapping on the eastern portion of the claim. Gold Leaf Ventures optioned the property from Jim McDonald and during the 1988 and 1990 field season laid out a new grid in the Northwest portion of the Bozo claim, collected 663 soil samples and conducted 20 kilmetres of ground magnetometer and VLF-EM surveys.
No other significant work was conducted on the property until 2010, when Compliance Energy Corp. acquired the NIC property and performed early-stage exploration, which included geological mapping, soil and rock geochemistry and airborne geophysical surveys. The 2010 exploration program confirmed the existence of a previously indicated copper-molybdenum porphyry system in the NIC North area. Highlights of a late-season (2010) discovery on the NIC South area include five select rock-chip samples from the discovery outcrop, which yielded an average of 0.959 gram per tonne gold, 2.214 grams per tonne silver and 2.22 per cent copper (www.complianceenergy.com).
In 2011, Compliance completed 17 holes totalling 3121 metres of diamond drilling in two areas: eight holes totalling 1056 metres at NIC South and nine holes totalling 2065 metres at NIC North. Highlights of the 2011 drilling program include hole NICS-04, which returned an intercept of 0.747 per cent copper and 0.213 gram per tonne gold over 18.4 metres, including 2.532 per cent copper and 0.666 gram per tonne gold over 4.4 metres (V STOCKWATCH, January 19, 2012).
In 2019, First Geolas Consulting completed a minor program of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Nic property.
