The Gerle Gold occurrence is located about 3 kilometres east of the lowermost of the McConnell lakes, about 164 kilometres north-northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.

Regionally, the area lies within the Quesnel Terrane. Quesnellia rocks comprise a volcanic and sedimentary assemblage assigned to the Upper Triassic Takla Group and a poorly defined sedimentary and volcanic suite belonging to the Pennsylvanian to Permian Lay Range assemblage. These are intruded by Early Jurassic monzodiorites, Early Cretaceous quartz monzodiorites and Late Triassic Alaskan-type ultramafics.

This package of sediments, volcanics and intrusions is bounded to the east by the north-northwest trending Swannell fault and to the west by the north-northwest trending Ingenika fault. The Swannell fault separates the Quesnel Terrane from the para-autochthonous Cassiar Terrane represented by Neoproterozoic rocks assigned to the Ingenika Group. The Ingenika fault separates the Quesnel Terrane from the Stikine Terrane, which is an aggregate of allochthonous Paleozoic and Mesozoic magmatic arc assemblages and overlying sedimentary sequences (Monger, 1984).

Locally, the area is underlain by four main rock types: amphibolite gneiss, quartz diorite, quartz monzonite and discontinuous schist zones (Assessment Report 20947). The amphibolite gneiss is composed of bands of fine to medium-grained amphibolite interlayered with irregular shaped felsic rich bands. This elongate unit has a general northwest trend and is cut by thin pegmatite dikes which crosscut the gneissic banding. The close proximity of the Ingenika fault suggests that these amphibolites could possibly be metamorphosed Takla Group or Lay Range assemblage volcanics.

The quartz diorite is part of the Early Jurassic Fleet Peak pluton. The quartz diorite is medium grained and dominated by plagioclase with lesser hornblende, epidote, biotite, chlorite and potassium feldspar. The intrusion is foliated, has an average strike of 155 degrees and dips vertically. The intrusion lies to the west and south of the amphibolite gneiss unit.

The quartz monzonite, part of the Early Cretaceous Jensen Peak batholith, is medium grained and is dominated by plagioclase with lesser quartz and potassium feldspar. The intrusion lies to the south and east of the amphibolite gneiss. The contact is a 1- to 5-metre zone of coarse-grained epidote-garnet-calcite skarn and epidotized amphibolite gneiss. A well-developed chlorite schist zone occurs near this contact.

The schist zones occur discontinuously within the amphibolite gneiss and quartz monzonite units. These zones are between a few centimetres to 12 metres in thickness and often host quartz carbonate veins. The schists are composed of chlorite, sericite and calcite with lesser quartz and plagioclase. The schist zones exhibit features of brittle-ductile shear zones and high bulk strain. The schistosity strikes between 155 and 175 degrees, dipping steeply northeast or southwest. Most of the quartz veins are parallel or sub-parallel to the walls of the schist zones.

Structures, including quartz veins, schist zones, foliation in the amphibolite and contacts, all trend approximately northwest with steep dips to the northeast or the southwest. Local faulting within the schist zones, trend sub-parallel to the general structure with a west-northwest strike.

Gold and silver mineralization is associated with sparse pyrite, chalcopyrite and galena in quartz-carbonate veins. The veins are hosted in steeply dipping carbonate-chlorite-sericite schist zones developed within the amphibolite gneiss unit. The Main showing is traceable over a strike length of 850 metres and quartz-carbonate veins occur discontinuously for a total strike length of 9 kilometres. From the plotted location, this style of mineralization extends for 2 kilometres to the southeast and 7 kilometres to the northwest.

Gold and copper mineralization associated with pyrite and lesser chalcopyrite also occurs within non-schistose amphibolite gneiss. Mineralization occurs in zones of increased epidotization or silicification.

The Main showing has been worked, by eight hand trenches, intermittently since 1947 when it was first staked by J. Gerlitzki and later optioned to Trans-American Mining Corporation. In 1958, the showing was explored by Centennial Mining Company with 11 short X-ray drillholes and 22 open cuts. Sampling of the open cuts is reported to have yielded up to 15.77 grams per tonne gold over 11.6 metres in trench no. 11, while drilling yielded up to 24.69 grams per tonne gold over 0.52 metre in hole no. 9 and 7.89 grams per tonne gold over 3.05 metres in hole no. 10. Trenching at this time is reported to have yielded up to 42.35 grams per tonne gold over 3.3 metres from trench no. 5 (Richardson, P.W. (2007-08-30): Technical Report - The McConnell Creek Property).

During the early 1980s, a large area along strike was covered by geological, geochemical and geophysical surveys by Gerle Gold Ltd. In 1981, a 2.44 metre interval from a drillhole assayed 13.71 grams per tonne silver and 9.60 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 9799). In 1984 and 1985, Lornex Mining Corp. drilled 48 diamond-drill holes spread over approximately 5.5 kilometres of the property yielded intercepts of up to 7.20 grams per tonne gold over 4.27 metres in hole 84M22, 10.29 grams per tonne gold over 1.10 metres in hole 85M10 and 14.81 grams per tonne gold over 0.45 metre in hole 85M16 (Richardson, P.W. (2007-08-30): Technical Report - The McConnell Creek Property). Also at this time, free gold was obtained from quartz vein material with values of up to 151.19 grams per tonne gold over 0.6 metre being reported from surface samples (Assessment Report 12859).

From 1987 to 1988, Gerle Gold Ltd., focussing on the Main showing, drilled 12 diamond-drill holes, dug 67 trenches and conducted a geochemical and geophysical survey. Sampling of cross trenching along the main gold zone is reported to have averaged 7.23 grams per tonne gold over a length of 145 metres and a width of 1.71 metres, while a separate “shoot” located near the access road to the main gold zone averaged 6.79 grams per tonne gold over a length of 33 metres and a width of 1.00 metre (Richardson, P.W. (2007-08-30): Technical Report - The McConnell Creek Property). Drilling yielded intercepts of up to 15.57 grams per tonne gold over 1.0 metre in hole 87-06 (Richardson, P.W. (2007-08-30): Technical Report - The McConnell Creek Property). Placer Dome Inc. undertook a geophysical survey, soil and stream geochemical surveys, a geological survey and a prospecting program in 1989. During the following 1990 season, 10 holes were drilled, 30 trenches and additional geochemical surveys were undertaken. Drillhole 90-5, located outside the main gold zone, yielded 5.25 grams per tonne gold over 2.25 metres (Richardson, P.W. (2007-08-30): Technical Report - The McConnell Creek Property).

Indicated reserves are 45,355 tonnes grading 7.5 grams per tonne gold (Gerle Gold Ltd., Report to Shareholders, May 1987).

In 2005 and 2006, GGL Diamond Corp. completed programs of soil sampling on the area. In 2008, GGL Diamond Corp. completed three diamond-drill holes totalling 1071.36 metres; one hole tested an induced polarization target in the copper area in the west part of the property and two holes tested geochemical and geophysical targets near the main gold-bearing shear zone. Additionally, 87.95 kilometres of line cutting was completed on the property.

In 2018, GGL Resources Corp. conducted an exploration program consisting of the collection of 72 soil samples, 32 rock samples and 11character samples of historic drill core. General geological and geomorphological observations were also made during the field visit. This work was conducted to better understand, evaluate and put in context the historic results collected on the property since 1981. In addition, and concurrently, a modern structural investigation and interpretation using Sentinel-2 and Landsat 7 imagery was commissioned. Four outcrop rock samples (18RR-007, -008, -014, -016) from the occurrence area yielded from 1.07 to 6.87 grams per tonne gold (Assessment report 38120).

In 2020, GGL Resources Corp. completed a 12.8 line-kilometre ground magnetic survey and a 11.7 line-kilometre induced polarization survey on the McConnell Creek property.