The Richard III past-producer is located on the western slopes of Mount Sicker, approximately 2.3 kilometres east of the Chemainus River.

Several past-producers are located on Mount Sicker in the Cowichan uplift, one of three geo-anticlinal uplifts that expose rocks of the Paleozoic Sicker and Buttle Lake groups on Vancouver Island. Cretaceous sediments of the Nanaimo Group unconformably overlie the Paleozoic rocks; the contact is marked by a basal conglomerate containing volcanic fragments derived from the Sicker Group. The local stratigraphy is disrupted by folding, faulting (pre-Triassic as well as Paleogene-Neogene) and the intrusions of two gabbro sills (known as the Mount Hall Gabbro) that are coeval with the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation. The target of exploration activity has been the volcanogenic, polymetallic massive sulphides that are hosted within felsic volcanic tuffs of the Middle to Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge Formation (Sicker Group) and restricted to a belt running from Chipman Creek to Mount Richards, in the hangingwall of the Fulford fault.

Volcanogenic massive sulphides were discovered on Mount Sicker in the late 1800s with production from one main orebody issuing from three independent underground mines (Lenora [MINFILE 092B 001], Tyee [MINFILE 092B 002] and Richard III [MINFILE 092B 003]) for several years. These mines were later amalgamated and operated as the Twin J mine (1942–1952). The massive sulphides are hosted within rhyolitic tuffs and associated sediments of the Middle to Upper Devonian McLaughlin Ridge Formation, Sicker Group. The rocks in the mine include cherty tuffs and graphitic schists which together form a band of folded and/or sheared sediments 30 to 45 metres wide that is at least 640 metres long near the workings. The trend of the band and the strike of the sediments are 110 degrees. The dip of the sediments is 50 degrees southwest. See the Lenora occurrence for further details of the geology.

Two types of ore are found in association with the cherty tuffs and graphitic schists: a barite ore consisting of a fine-grained mixture of pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and a little galena in a gangue of barite, quartz and calcite; and a quartz ore consisting of mainly quartz and chalcopyrite.

The two main orebodies, known as the North orebody and South orebody, are long, lenticular bodies lying along two main dragfolds in the band of sediments. The North orebody measures approximately 500 metres along strike, 37 metres downdip and from 0.3 to 3 metres in thickness. The South orebody, which is 46 metres from the North orebody and has its upper limit 45 metres higher, measures 640 metres along the strike, 45 metres downdip and is approximately 6 metres in thickness. Two main faults, striking east and nearly vertical, displace the orebodies. A fracture zone is manifested by vertical silicified zones on the south sides of both the North and South orebodies.

Work History

During 1898 to 1907, sporadic programs of underground development and exploration were completed on the Richard III mine but the operators lacked sufficient working capital for efficient operations. During this time, ore was shipped from the dump to the Tyee smelter. When work stopped in 1907, ore was reported to be showing on the floor of the 500-level.

The Richard III mine operated for three years between 1903 and 1907, producing 22 830 grams of gold, 522 714 grams of silver and 113 604 kilograms of copper from a total of 4903 tonnes of ore mined (Mineral Policy data).

In 1924 and 1925, further underground exploration was conducted on the north ore zone through drifting, crosscutting and shaft sinking.

In 1939 and 1940, Sheep Creek Gold Mines Ltd. optioned the Lenora (MINFILE 092B 001), Tyee (MINFILE 092B 002]) and Richard III (MINFILE 092B 003) mines and are reported to have conducted a significant amount of diamond drilling and underground development before the option was dropped due to low zinc prices.

In 1942, the mines were taken over by Twin J Mines Ltd. and during the next two years programs of drilling and sampling, underground rehabilitation and mine site preparation were conducted. Milling began in mid-1943 with operations being suspended in 1944. In 1946, the mining and milling resumed after underground development was re-timbered and continued until September 1947. In 1949, the property was taken over by Vancouver Island Base Metals Ltd. who repaired the Tyee shaft, re-timbered tunnels and continued underground development and diamond drilling. The Mine was re-opened in 1951 with a modest exploration and development program being carried out before closing in January 1952.

The three mines (Lenora [MINFILE 092B 001], Tyee [MINFILE 092B 002] and Richard III [MINFILE 092B 003]) were amalgamated and operated intermittently between 1942 and 1952 as the Twin J mine. See the Lenora (MINFILE 092B 001) mine for the combined production and reserve figures that were derived after the three mines were amalgamated as the Twin J mine. Zinc, lead and cadmium are also reported in the Twin J production records.

During 1964 through 1966, the area was held and explored by Mt. Sicker Mines Ltd. In 1967, Mt. Sicker Mines conducted a geological mapping program of on the Field and South Groups of the Mt. Sicker property. In 1972, Duncanex Resources conducted a program of line-cutting on the area.

In 1972, Duncanex Resources completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping and a 34.0 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey on the surrounding area as the CF Group. In 1974, Dresser Ind. completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 830.0 metres, on the Lenora property. In 1977, John Deighton conducted a geological mapping program on the area as the Yankee, Margie and Mollie claims. During 1978 through 1980, S.E.R.E.M. Limited completed programs of geological mapping, ground geophysical surveys, soil sampling and seven diamond drill holes, totalling 1235.9 metres, on the surrounding area as the Rocky claims.

In 1986, Falconbridge Copper completed a 23.3 line-kilometre induced polarization survey and a single diamond drill hole on the occurrence area. The drillhole (MTS-24) was located approximately 250 metres north-northeast of the Richard III shaft, near the border of the Morley-Jayne and Estelle Crown-granted claims, and intercepted a rhyodacitic tuff, quartz-crystal tuff and ash unit hosting stringer mineralization that yielded 5.24 per cent copper, 0.1 per cent zinc, 14 grams per tonne silver and 0.10 gram per tonne gold over 0.18 metre (Assessment Report 15719).

During 1987 through 1990, Minnova completed programs of geochemical sampling and at least 27 diamond drill holes, totalling 7073.0 metres, on the area as the Mount Sicker and Twin properties. In 1988, a single diamond drill hole (MTS-52), totalling 447.0 metres, was completed on the Richard III claim to test the downdip extent of the sulphide mineralization reported in the Richard III mine. The hole yielded intercepts of up to 0.24 per cent copper over 0.55 metre (404.10 to 404.65 metres down hole) in felsic and ash tuffs hosting stringers of pyrite with minor chalcopyrite (Assessment Report 17834). In 1990, a drillhole (MTS-77) located on an induced polarization anomaly north of the Richard III shaft intersected sulphide-rich stringer zones hosted in weakly altered felsic tuffs yielding 0.34 per cent zinc over 1.80 metres (129.60 to 131.40 metres down hole; Assessment Report 19754).

In 2008, Westridge Resources completed a 440.3 line-kilometre airborne geophysical (magnetic and electromagnetic) survey on the area as part of the Fortuna property. In 2010 and 2011, Rock-Con Resources completed a program of prospecting and rock sampling on the Mount Sicker property. In 2013 and 2014, Conarry Ventures Inc. conducted programs of prospecting and rock sampling on the area as the Mount Sicker property.

In 2020, 911 Mining Co. conducted a program of prospecting and geochemical (rock and silt) sampling on the surrounding area as the Mount Sicker property. In 2021 and 2022, Scenc Resources Corp. completed a minor program of geological mapping, rock sampling, a 1.8 line-kilometre ground electromagnetic survey and four backpack drill holes, totalling 14.9 metres, on the Mount Sicker property. A sample from the mine dump yielded 13.45 per cent zinc, 0.82 per cent lead, 0.60 per cent copper, 47 grams per tonne silver 0.87 gram per tonne gold (Assessment Report 40298).

Later in 2022, Sasquatch Resources Corp. completed a program of prospecting, geological mapping, drillcore and rock sampling and a 418.2 line-kilometre airborne electromagnetic survey on the Mount Sicker property.