The Chauncey Creek occurrence is located approximately 19 kilometres north-northeast of Elkford, British Columbia, and south of the Fording River mine (082JSE012).
Stratigraphy at Chauncey Creek consists of the Moose Mountain Formation, the coal-bearing Mist Mountain formation, and the overlying Elk Formation, all part of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Kootenay Group. The Chauncey Creek property is centred on the approximately north trending, south plunging Alexander Creek (Fording River) syncline. Chauncey Ridge and the upper slopes are formed by the resistant Elk Formation, and constitute the core of the syncline. The Mist Mountain and Moose Mountain Formations outcrop on both limbs of the syncline. The east slope displays large-scale thrust faulting which repeats the upper one-third of the Mist Mountain Formation. There is evidence of small scale thrust faults which may be related to the major Fording (Ewin Creek) thrust fault. There is also evidence on the west slope for thrust faulting including over thickening of the Mist Mountain Formation (Coal Assessment Report 383).
At least 8 coal seams occur interbedded with sandstone, siltstone and shale in the Mist Mountain Formation (480 metres) with thickest coal occurring in the lower half.
A total of 29 to 33 metres of cumulative coal thickness occur in 450 to 480 metres of section on the east slope of Chauncey Ridge. An additional 220 metres of Mist Mountain Formation containing 4 coal seams are repeated by thrust faulting. Seam #2 is the thickest (7.8 metres). Coal is medium volatile bituminous rank and contains 16.57 to 24.95 per cent ash (raw, as dried basis) in the north, 10.48 to 28.43 per cent ash (raw, as dried basis) in the centre, and 9.45 per cent ash (raw, as dried basis) on the south portion of the east slope (Coal Assessment Report 383).
On the west slope of Chauncey Ridge, 4 seams over 1 metre thick make up a total average thickness of 15.32 metres, with an additional seam 6.52 metres thick located down section. Three seams less than 1 metre thick also occur. Coal is medium volatile bituminous rank and contains from 4.96 to 36.49 per cent ash (raw, as dried basis) on the west slope (Coal Assessment Report 383).
In 1980 and 1981 Crows Nest Resources Ltd. conducted geological mapping, trenching, and sampling programs at Chauncey Creek. Results indicated an excess of over 85 million tonnes of coal, with some limitations to mining feasibility. There is a high overburden ration of 20:1 bank cubic metres of waste per tonne coal, and the coal-bearing strata are steeply dipping (Coal Assessment Reports 382, 383).
In 2001 Fording Coal Ltd. drilled 2 holes at Chauncey Creek and completed 10 more drill holes in 2002 (Coal Assessment Reports 871, 873).