The Burden occurrence is located on the east bank of the Swannell River, 3.6 kilometres due east of the Ferguson or Ingenika mine workings (094C 002), approximately 105 kilometres north-northeast of the community of Germansen Landing.

The area is underlain by carbonate strata belonging to the Cambrian to Ordovician Kechika Group, which overlie sandstones of the Neoproterozoic Ingenika Group. The Kechika Group forms the core of a broad north-plunging syncline that outcrops approximately 3 kilometres south of the Swannell River.

Hostrocks are calcareous talc sericite schist thought to be part of the Ingenika Group (Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 274, page 209). The showings occur in a 4.5-metre-thick section of interlayered schist and quartz, which strikes 113 degrees and dips 20 degrees northeast. The showings consist of several masses of white vein quartz cut by veins and patches of cream coloured, coarsely crystalline calcite with blebs and stringers of pyrite and chalcopyrite. In 1928, a selected sample assayed 20.6 grams per tonne silver and 0.7 per cent copper (Geological Survey of Canada Annual Report 1928, page 185). A rounded boulder of massive pyrite and chalcopyrite, approximately 120 by 60 by 60 centimetres, was located approximately 30 metres downstream.

In 1917, the original claims in the area were staked by S. Ferguson. The claims covered an oxidized limestone hill, now known as Ferguson Hill, immediately north of Delkluz Lake and south of the Ingenika River.

In 1926, the claims were acquired by the Selkirk Mining Syndicate of Victoria. In 1927, W.R. Wilson and sons formed Ingenika Mines Limited to further develop the property (094C 002) and between 1927 and 1932, the company completed the development of underground drifts, crosscuts and raises, still in existence today. Extensive trenching and minor diamond drilling was also completed during this time. The underground workings explored four base metal zones from four levels (1, 2, 4 and 5) and ore was encountered in all levels except the lowest (5). Due to a lack of economic mineralization, operation ceased in 1932.

Cross Lake Minerals Limited restaked the Ingenika property in 2000. The new Ingenika property included the Burden showing, located on the Del 2 claim, and surrounded but did not include the historic Ingenika mine site, located on three claims held by Teck. In 2001, Cross Lake completed extensive geochemical surveys and three BQTK-size diamond-drill holes totalling 400.8 metres. The following year Cross Lake completed four trenches totalling 175 metres and four NQTK-size diamond-drill holes. In 2004, Cross Lake Minerals granted Bard Ventures Limited a 50 per cent option on the Ingenika and Swannell properties, based on a $2.1 million expenditure by December 31, 2007. That year, Cross Lake completed 17 kilometres of three-dimensional inversion induced polarization surveying over Grid A, located in and around the Ingenika mine and covering the Ferguson and Onward South (094C 182) showings. The purpose of the survey was to test the geophysical method over a known occurrence. The survey over Grid A yielded positive results and a 49.5 line kilometre survey was completed over Grid B. Grid B was located south of Delkluz Lake and covered both the Onward (094C 003) and Onward South showings. In 2005, Cross Lake Minerals assigned the two properties to its subsidiary, Selkirk Holdings. That year, seven diamond-drill holes totalling 992.67 metres were completed on targets identified from the three-dimensional inversion induced polarization survey. The three-dimensional induced polarization survey failed to detect any new mineralization because no major sulphide bodies were intersected during drilling, though minor pyrite and pyrrhotite was seen in and adjacent to quartz-carbonate veins.