Previous workers in these areas (VUWAE4 and VUWAE6) had mapped Precambrian basement recks similar to those found in mineralised areas of Australia, South Africa, Canada and Scandinavia. VUWAE9's mission was to examine geological environmental which by analogy seemed likely to be mineralised and to look for mineralised boulders in moraines. Minor copper mineralisation had been recorded by VUWAE6 in the Nussbaum Riegel Belt of metasediments, Taylor Valley.

Environments in the the area considered most likely to be mineralised are faults, amphibolite-marble-fault contacts, granite-marble contacts (skarns) and pegnative dykes.