The Broken Hill placer occurrence is situated along the Coquihalla River and Highway 5 (the Coquihalla Highway), 7 kilometres east-northeast of Hope.

The area is underlain by the Permian to Jurassic Hozameen Complex. Two contact zones (plus a possible third contact) cross the claim on a diagonal. A band of Paleozoic to Mesozoic undivided sedimentary rocks strikes northwest through the central portion of the property, with Paleozoic to Mesozoic basaltic volcanics occurring to the north and south of the sedimentary band. Minor fracturing cuts the claim area and the Hozameen fault. A northwest-trending, gold-bearing structure commonly referred to as the Coquihalla Gold Belt, lies approximately 3.5 kilometres to the east. In the vicinity of the Coquihalla River, the Hozameen fault juxtaposes ultramafics of the Coquihalla Serpentine Belt against rocks of the Hozameen Complex.

Prior to 2009, a former prospector had revealed information to William and Sarah Amey regarding a mineralized bedrock vein crossing the Coquihalla River. The prospector indicated that assays of the vein had returned high platinum values. Only a vague location was given for the vein and, in 2009, the Broken Hill claim was staked to cover a zone of outcrop and bedrock exposure along a 4.5-kilometre stretch of the Coquihalla River.

Exploration that year began with a reconnaissance prospecting program along the slope paralleling the west side of the Coquihalla Highway to Nine Mile Creek and downhill along the creek bank to its termination point along the highway. Pan sampling for platinum indicator elements was carried out in the northern portion of the claim, along the eastern bank of the Coquihalla River, in a section of the river bearing large boulders. Approximately 1.3 cubic metres of material was screened and panned down to its heavy element content. Off site, the heavy element concentrates were further refined to determine the precious metal content. In total, 1.1 grams of fine gold was recovered.

Further sampling was conducted along a section of riverbend with a gravel beach and exposed rock face in the central portion of the claim. A deep pool at the base of the bedrock exposure acts as catchment basin for heavy minerals. Approximately 0.75 cubic metre of gravel was collected from along the beach and from behind larger rocks situated midriver and downstream from the pool. The gravel was panned for platinum indicator elements. No platinum was discovered; however, 2.1 grams of gold was recovered, including two small nuggets approximately 3 millimetres in size (Assessment Report 31517, page 4). Work continued approximately 1 kilometre downstream of the pool area in the south-central portion of the claim. Another 0.75 cubic metre of gravel was screened and panned at this location. No indication of platinum was encountered, although 13 grains of fine and flake gold were recovered (Assessment Report 31517, page 4).

Due to a lack of platinum in the 2009 exploration results, gold became the focus of the following year’s exploration program. In 2010, pan sampling was conducted over three generalized locations along the east side of the highway.

Initial work was carried out along the Coquihalla River in the central portion of the Broken Hill claim. In total, workers washed and screened 0.75 cubic metre of gravel from the inside bend section of the river and 0.4 cubic metre of gravel from the downstream side of the pool. Seven grains of fine to small-flake gold were recovered from the inside bend section and four grains of fine-only gold were recovered from the downstream side of the pool (Assessment Report 32132, page 4).

Later that year, approximately 0.65 cubic metre of gravel was collected from behind rocks and boulders within the riverbed, upstream from Bailey Bridge in the northern portion of the claim area. The gravels were screened and hand-panned, yielding numerous rough shards of serpentine and slightly less than 1 gram of gold, including two 0.5-millimetre particles (Assessment Report 32132, page 4).

The focus then shifted to the upstream section of the inside bend of the large gravel bar situated on the east side of the Coquihalla River in the southern portion of the claim area. Approximately 1.4 cubic metres of gravel were classified and hand-panned. The gravel yielded 1.2 grams of gold, including four 1-millimetre-size flakes and one flattened flake greater than 2 millimetres in size (Assessment Report 32132, page 4).

In 2012 and 2013, programs of prospecting and panning of river gravels continued.