Up to 18 coal seams occur in the Michel South area. From stratigraphically lower to upper, the main seams are: 10 (13.7 metres), 9 (3.0 metres), 8 (6.1 metres), 7 Lower (3.7 metres), 7 (1.8 metres), 6 (1.8 metres), 5 (2.4 metres), 2 (1.8 metres), 1 (3.0 metres), A (4.6 metres), B (1.8 metres), LC (4.9 metres), UC (3.4 metres) and D (1.5 metres)(information projected from the Sparwood Ridge area). The seams are interbedded with sandstone, siltstone and shale in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Mist Mountain Formation (Kootenay Group).

Total projected coal reserves for the area are 545,177,078 tonnes (Coal Assessment Report 349). Rank, projected from the Michel Creek area to the north, is expected to be high volatile bituminous.

The area overlies the east (west dipping) limb of the Sparwood syncline (approximately north trending). The strata are cut by a number of north-northwest trending, west dipping thrust faults.