The Nek 3 occurrence is located at an elevation of approximately 1850 metres along a northwest-trending ridge, approximately 3 kilometres north of Kemess Lake and 3.5 kilometres east of Duncan Lake, about 190 kilometres north-northwest of the community of Germansen Landing.

The Toodoggone district lies within the eastern margin of the Intermontane Belt and is underlain by a northwest-trending belt of Paleozoic to Paleogene sediments, volcanics and intrusions covering an area of 90 by 25 kilometres. The basement rocks are Proterozoic metasedimentary equivalents of the Hadrynian Ingenika Group. These rocks are unconformably overlain by volcanic and sedimentary units of the Devonian to Permian Asitka Group, which are in turn overlain by Upper Triassic basaltic to andesitic flows, volcaniclastics and minor limestone of the Stuhini Group. Volcaniclastic rocks of the Lower Jurassic Hazelton Group and rhyolitic to dacitic flows, intrusions and volcaniclastics of the Lower Jurassic Toodoggone Formation (Hazelton Group) overlie the Stuhini Group. Further to the west, nonmarine sediments of the Cretaceous Sustut Group overlie the volcanic strata and form the western margin of the district.

The Early Jurassic Black Lake Suite, of quartz monzonitic to granodioritic composition, has intruded the older strata in the central and eastern parts of the region and forms the eastern margin of the Toodoggone district. Within the district, syenomonzonitic and quartz feldspar porphyritic dikes may be feeders to the Toodoggone Formation.

Locally, the area is mainly underlain by andesitic to basaltic volcanics of the Stuhini Group, with the exception of the eastern regions, which are underlain by fragmental tuffs of the Toodoggone Formation. Lower Jurassic stocks, dikes and possible sills of quartz monzonite to quartz diorite composition have intruded the Stuhini Group. Porphyry-style copper-gold mineralization occurs mainly within Black Lake intrusive and Stuhini volcanic rocks and, to a lesser extent, the lowermost Toodoggone Formation rocks. See Kemess North (094E 021) for a detailed description of the regional geology.

At the Nek 3 occurrence, basalt flows and a biotite quartz monzonite host disseminations, veinlets and coarse blebs of pyrite and chalcopyrite. Malachite staining is also reported. In 1990, two rock samples (18389 and 28586) assayed 1.285 and 0.412 per cent copper, 8.5 and 7.7 grams per tonne silver with 1.00 and 3.70 grams per tonne gold, respectively (Assessment Report 21539).

The area has been historically explored in conjunction with the nearby Kemess North deposit (094E 021) located 2.2 kilometres north-northwest, and the Kemess South deposit (094E 094) located 4.5 kilometres south-southwest.

During 1966 through 1971, Kennco Explorations Ltd. completed programs of geochemical sampling and geological mapping on the area immediately west as the Kemess 1-100 claims.

In 1975 and 1976, Getty Mines Ltd. examined the property and completed programs of soil sampling and geological mapping on the area immediately west.

During 1986 through 1989, El Condor Resources Ltd. completed programs of rock and soil sampling, geological mapping, trenching and a 14.1 line kilometre ground magnetic survey on the area immediately west as the New Kemess 1-2 claims.

In 1990 and 1991, El Condor Resources Ltd. conducted programs of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and a 201.0 line kilometre induced polarization survey on the area as part of the Kemess property. In 1992, four diamond-drill holes were completed on the Nek 3 claim. No significant mineralization was encountered.

During 2000 through 2011, Northgate Minerals Corporation completed further programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling, ground geophysical surveying and diamond drilling on the Kemess and Kemess East properties. In 2002, Northgate conducted a 58-hole diamond drilling program totalling 33,686.3 metres on the Kemess property, including a single drillhole on the Nek 3 area.

During 2013 through 2017, AuRico Gold Inc. examined the area as part of the Kemess and Kemess East properties.