The Cove 17 occurrence is located south of Stephens Creek and approximately 550 metres northwest of Frances Lake.

Regionally, the area is underlain by northwest-trending belts of basaltic volcanics and carbonate sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen and Quatsino formations (Vancouver Group) and mafic volcanics and sediments of the Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group (Holberg volcanic unit, Nahwitti River wacke and Parson Bay Formation). These volcanic and sedimentary rocks have been intruded by granodioritic rocks of the Early to Middle Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite.

Locally, as identified by drilling, greenish to dark-gray andesitic tuff with calcite and minor quartz fractures and veins hosts disseminations and veins of pyrite and chalcopyrite with minor molybdenite. Biotite and magnetite are common.

In 1974, a drillhole (E-27) on the Bay 22 claim yielded up to 0.14 per cent copper over 3.0 metres (Assessment Report 5265).

In 1979, diamond drilling yielded up to 1.29 per cent copper and 0.036 per cent molybdenum over 3.0 metres with two separate sections of hole E-42 averaging 0.22 per cent copper and 0.017 per cent molybdenum over 36.0 metres and 0.24 per cent copper and 0.020 per cent molybdenum over 38.4 metres, respectively, whereas drillhole E-41 yielded two mineralized intercepts of 0.22 per cent copper and 0.009 per cent molybdenum over 48.0 metres and 0.24 per cent copper and 0.010 per cent molybdenum over 69.0 metres, respectively (Assessment Report 7427).

In 1989, a drillhole (E-85) located on the eastern side of the Cove 17 claim yielded 0.19 per cent copper over 48.0 metres, including 0.31 per copper and 0.054 per cent molybdenum over 3.0 metres (Assessment Report 18744).

In 1965 and 1966, BHP-Utah Mines completed programs of geological mapping, soil sampling and ground geophysical programs on the area as the Bay and Cove claims. In 1974, BHP-Utah Mines completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 562.0, metres on the area immediately southwest as the Bay 22 and 96 claims.

In 1979, BHP-Utah Mines completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 453.0 metres, on the area as the Cove 17 claim. In 1983, a program of geological mapping was completed. In 1985, BHP-Utah Mines completed two diamond drill holes, totalling 337.7 metres, to the north-northwest on the Bay 58 and Cove 18 claims. In 1989, BHP-Utah Mines completed four diamond drill holes, totalling 1867.8 metres, on the area. In 1988, BHP-Utah Mines completed a program of soil sampling and a 390.0 line-kilometre airborne geophysical survey on the area.

In 2016, the area was prospected by Tech-X Resources Ltd.