The Reef occurrence is located 4.6 kilometres southwest of the Pillar and south of Jock Creek, approximately 280 kilometres north of Smithers.

The Reef showing is situated within a Mesozoic volcanic arc assemblage which lies along the eastern margin of the Intermontane Belt, a northwest-trending belt of Paleozoic to Tertiary sediments, volcanics and intrusions bounded to the east by the Omineca Belt and to the west and southwest by the Sustut and Bowser basins.

Permian Asitka Group crystalline limestones are the oldest rocks exposed in the region. They are commonly in thrust contact with Upper Triassic Takla Group andesite flows and pyroclastic rocks. These Takla rocks have been intruded by plutons and other bodies of the mainly granodiorite to quartz monzonite Early Jurassic Black Lake Suite and are in turn unconformably overlain by, or faulted against, Lower Jurassic calcalkaline volcanics of the Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group).

The dominant structures in the area are steeply dipping faults which define a prominent regional northwest structural fabric trending 140 to 170 degrees. In turn, high angle, northeast-striking faults (approximately 060 degrees) appear to truncate and displace northwest-striking faults. Collectively these faults form a boundary for variably rotated and tilted blocks underlain by monoclinal strata.

The Reef showing area is underlain by trachyte and trachyandesite pyroclastic rocks including grey, green and maroon dacitic to andesitic feldspar phyric tuffs, lapilli tuffs and agglomerates, and flows. The stratigraphy generally strikes northeast and dips moderately to the northwest. The area in the vicinity of the drilling seems to be underlain by feldspar phyric lapilli tuff, which varies texturally from a crowded feldspar porphyry with few lapilli to lapilli-rich crystal poor intervals. These lithologies are assigned regionally to the Metsantan and Saunders members of the Toodoggone Formation. he Metsantan Member volcanics are host to the Reef prospect.

One of several prominent, narrow mineralized zones of silicified rock with strong associated argillic alteration in the area comprises the Reef showing. The silicified rock forms a resistant tabular structure where it outcrops on surface. The structure is 5 to 15 metres wide and 50 metres long, striking 060 degrees and dipping 50 degrees to the southeast. Drillhole JK88-01 intersected a true thickness of roughly 25 metres and is structurally continuous for at least 100 metres downdip. A major hangingwall fault observed on surface is also observed to 100 metres depth.

Three types of alteration are observed; silicic, argillic, and propylitic. Narrow zones of silicic alteration are characterized by strong to intense quartz flooding and moderate sericite. Wider zones of argillic alteration are defined by extensive quartz, sericite, and clay alteration. Surface outcrop of the Reef showing is strongly altered to limonite. Sulphides and phenocrysts have been mostly leached out resulting in vuggy textures. Boxworks indicate an originally high pyrite content. Propylitic alteration consists of chlorite, calcite and varying amounts of quartz and pyrite. Geology and geochemistry of the mineralized zones are compatible with the formation in an acid-sulphate type epithermal system.

Mineralization at the Reef showing consists of local pyrite and trace base metals.

In 1985, two samples (JK-K-3 and -4) from 3- to 5-metre-wide chalcedonic quartz breccia zones hosting pyrite assayed 0.24 and 0.15 gram per tonne gold, respectively (Assessment Report 14488).

In 1988, the best intersection from drill core (drillhole JK88-01) was 0.78 gram per tonne gold and 2.0 grams per tonne silver over 2.0 metres or 0.49 gram per tonne gold and 1.5 grams per tonne silver over 6.0 metres (Assessment Report 18632). These results were from the footwall of the Reef structure. Surface lithogeochemical samples analyzed up to 1.95 grams per tonne gold and silver values of 1 to 2 grams per tonne over 1 metre widths (Assessment Report 18632).

Work History

In 1980 and 1981, Serem Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling and a ground electromagnetic survey on the area as the Jock 1-5 and Itsch claims.

In 1985, Golden Rule Resources Ltd. completed a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the area as the JK 1-5 claims.

In 1986, the Toodoggone Syndicate completed a 75 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area as the Anna and Michel claims located immediately to the east. In 1987, Beachview Resources Ltd. completed a program prospecting and geochemical (rock and soil) sampling on the Anna and Michel claims.

In 1988, Esso Resources completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 366.1 metres, on the JK 1 claim.

During the 1990s through 2020 (from 1999 by Finlay Minerals Ltd.) the area immediately north and east was explored as part of the Pil property, and a completed exploration history can be found at the Pil South (MINFILE 094E 310) occurrence.