Records of exploration work on and around the property date to 1989 when Battle Mountain Gold completed 18 holes in 7,700 feet (2,348 meters) of drilling, collected 128 rock samples, 143 soil samples, and conducted IP/Resistivity, VLF/Resistivity, and VLF/EM geophysical surveys. Battle Mountain expended approximately $200,000 on the project and reported encouraging results, but dropped the property in 1992.

Crown subsequently completed an exploration program over a much larger area. Crown expenditures on this larger project area exceeded $1,600,000. More than 3,000 rock, soil and stream sediment samples were collected and analyzed in their project area. Crown drilled 156 holes through September, 1992, for a total of 81,640 feet (24,890 meters) of drilling. Geophysical surveys, including magnetometer, VLF and Controlled Source Audio-Frequency Magneto-Telluric (CSAMT) were conducted, totaling approximately 131,600 linear feet (40 line kilometers) of survey work. Special studies that have been conducted include extensive petrography, geochemical studies, orientation surveys, topographic fracture analyses and preliminary metallurgical leach tests.