The Nie occurrence area lies within rocks of the Stikine Terrane along the western margin of the Intermontane Belt. The stratigraphy is dominated by the Stikine Assemblage, which is basal to the Stikine Terrane, and in the property area comprises Permian limestones; Upper Carboniferous felsic to mafic volcanics, phyllite and limestone; and Lower Carboniferous rocks consisting of pyroxene-phyric mafic flows and tuffs, as well as intercalated sediments which include limestone, black, carbonaceous, slightly fetid calcsiltite and argillite. Large areas of the region are intruded by plutons that are Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous or Eocene in age. Tertiary volcanics rocks overly older strata.

The Nie or "2 Oz. Notch" showing appears to consist of two north trending, 60 degree east dipping quartz veins about 3 metres apart. The veins were exposed in a 14.6 metre long trench in 1984. The easternmost vein is 30 centimetres thick and the westernmost vein is about 60 centimetres. Mineralization consists of abundant disseminated and massive pyrite and minor pyrrhotite adjacent to a hornblende feldspar porphyry dike within siltstone and limestone. The dike occurs along the trace of the West Wall fault. Dating of hornblende from the dike gave an apparent age of 156 Ma +/- 5 Ma, suggesting mineralization may have occurred during the Upper Jurassic (Geological Fieldwork 1986). A 0.3-metre sample across the narrower eastern vein assayed 14.0 grams per tonne gold and 1.7 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 12688). Significant areas of Lower to Middle Triassic limestone and calcareous sediments are mapped in the Nie area and are the probable host package. Alternatively, the host may be calcareous rocks of Lower Carboniferous Stikine Assemblage.

A number of mineral occurrences, including the Nie, occur along the Ophir Break fault zone, an economically important system that extends at least 15 kilometres from Bearskin Lake to Tatsamenie Lake, and possibly another 10 kilometres south to the Samotua River. This fault zone is thought to act as a conduit for the mineralizing fluids that created deposits such as those at the Golden Bear mine (104K 079), about 6 kilometres south of the Tatsamenie Project property. The Ophir Break diverges into two main strands, the eastern Black fault and the western Fleece fault in the area of the Golden Bear deposit. The Fleece fault is called the West Wall fault north of Sam Creek. This fault zone is defined by areas of intense fracturing with abundant slickensiding; areas of carbonaceous and siliceous black siltstone and gouge; and linear quartz-iron carbonate-pyrite-fuchsite(?) (listwanites) and quartz-dolomite alteration zones. The listwanites occur in the tuffs.

The following summarizes the history of the Misty-Nie area that was initially explored by Chevron Canada Ltd and includes the Nie and several other documented mineral occurrences.

In 1959, regional stream sediment geochemical and water sampling conducted by Kennco Explorations Ltd in the Tatsamenie area. The program targeted copper-molybdenum porphyry-type mineralization.

In 1981, the Misty 1, 2; Nie 1, 2; Pole and Sam 1, 2 were staked by Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. In 1982 and 1983 Chevron followed with reconnaissance contour soil and rock sampling and prospecting on this group. Also in 1983, detailed rock sampling on the ridge west of the Shoulder Vein (new MINFILE occurrence) was carried out and on the Pole and Sam 2 claim work included geophysics (VLF-EM and magnetometer). In 1984, on the Misty and Nie claims, grid soil sampling, trenching, geophysics, and geologic mapping was completed. The Nie grid was established (68.2 kilometres of line) covering Nie 3 and 4; one trench (DS-337), 14.6 metres long, was blasted on a ridge exposing the Nie (2 Oz Notch) mineral occurrence. VLF-EM and magnetic surveying on the grid were carried out and geologic mapping at 1:10,000 scale was conducted. In 1985, reconnaissance rock and contour soil sampling were completed on the Misty claims. Sam 1 work included reconnaissance rock sampling (6 rocks). In 1987, work was conducted by the Chevron-Dia Met Joint Venture on the Misty and Nie claims and included: diamond drilling, geophysics, detailed geologic mapping and sampling. The West Wall fault was targeted every 200 metres with 30 drillholes (including one on Nie 3). Geophysics included 15.7 kilometres of VLF-EM. Detailed geologic mapping at 1:2000 scale was done in two blocks. Sam 1 work included: geologic mapping at 1:5000 scale on orthophotos. Limited rock and silt sampling was completed. Thie work was conducted by the Chevron-Dia Met Joint Venture. In 1988, Shannon Energy Ltd. entered into the Chevron-Dia Met Joint Venture and some field work was done by Stetson Resource Management Corporation, but no reports are available.

In 1990, Homestake Mineral Development Company, on behalf of North American Metals Corp., performed: reconnaissance mapping and sampling on the Misty and Nie claims under an option agreement with Chevron to earn 50 per cent interest in the property. The Shoulder Vein and Honk occurrence were discovered and the Spire (Nie 3) showings were explored.

In 1991, further work was completed on the Misty and Nie claims by Homestake. Geophysics included 6.9 line kilometres of VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys. Detailed geologic mapping around the Shoulder Vein and Nie (2 Oz Notch) was done and the northwest corner of the Nie 3 claim was mapped. Five of the 1987 diamond-drill holes in the Nie (2 Oz Notch) zone were relogged. Seventy-two silt samples, 361 soil samples and 182 rock samples were collected from the property for analysis. The Honk (Ultramafic Vein showing) was trenched using a high pressure water pump. Sixty-five metres in 8 trenches were reported excavated on the property.

In 1992 on the Sam claims, a new grid was established over the 1982 grid with mine grid coordinates. Soil sampling occurred on the grid. Geologists John Bradford and Derek Brown of the provincial Geological Survey Branch mapped the area at a 1:50,000 scale and discovered new showings such as the Barron.

In 1994, owner/operator North American Metals Corp conducted work on the Misty-Nie-Sam claims which included: establishing mine grid survey control stations, establishing the Backbone and Shoulder grids, grid and reconnaissance soil sampling, rock sampling, grid geophysics, 1:5000 scale geologic mapping, and prospecting. Eight mine grid survey stations were established on the property. Grid soil sampling was done. Reconnaissance-style contour soil sampling was completed. Geophysics comprising a magnetometer and VLF-EM survey was conducted on the Backbone and Shoulder grids. A total of 19.0 line kilometres of each survey were completed. Geologic mapping at 1:5000 scale was conducted on and around the Backbone and Shoulder grids covering an area of approximately 3.5 square kilometres. Detailed mapping at 1:500 scale was conducted on the Patella Vein.

The 2006 Tatsamenie property work of Nakina Resource consisted of a Landsat 7 image study that displays significant areas of iron oxide and/or hydroxyl (clay) alteration. The property is about 6 kilometres north of the past producing Golden Bear Mine and covers twelve mineral showings documented in MINFILE. These showings are the Nie (104K 081), Nie 3 (104K 092), Misty (104K 091), Tut (104K 097), LCZ (104K 080), Honk (104K 122), Tatsamenie Lake (104K 038), Barron (104K 120), Patella (104K 134), Backbone (104K 135), Shoulder (104K 136), and LCZ Extension (MINFILE 104K 137).

Refer to LCZ (104K 080) for details of the Tatsamenie property.

In 2020, Brixton Metals Corporation completed a program of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, a 12.5 line-kilometre ground induced polarization survey, a 715 line-kilometre airborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey and 19 diamond drill holes, totalling 5292 metres, on the area of as part of the Thorn property. Drilling was performed on the Outlaw (MINFILE 104K 176) occurrence area.