The Roper occurrence lies in the Zeballos gold camp and is located approximately 200 metres southeast of the Gold Field occurrence (MINFILE 092L 211) on the east side of a ridge separating Spud and Goldvalley creeks.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic Bonanza Group basaltic to rhyolitic volcanic rocks. Conformably underlying the Bonanza volcanic rocks are limestones and limy clastics of the Triassic to Lower Jurassic Parson Bay Formation (Bonanza and Vancouver groups) and Upper Triassic Quatsino Formation (Vancouver Group), and tholeiitic basalts of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). Dioritic to granodioritic plutons of the Zeballos intrusion phase of the Jurassic Island Plutonic Suite have intruded all older rocks. The Zeballos stock, a quartz diorite phase of the Eocene to Oligocene Mount Washington Plutonic Suite, is spatially related to gold-quartz veining in the area. Bedded rocks are predominantly northwest striking, southwest dipping, and anticlinally folded about a northwest axis.

The Roper vein is hosted in quartz diorite of the Zeballos stock near its western contact with Bonanza Group andesites and tuffs. The vein is associated with a shear zone striking 060 degrees and dipping 85 degrees north. The zone is up to 60 centimetres wide. The quartz vein, up to 30 centimetres wide but usually approximately 5 centimetres wide, contains ribbons of fine-grained pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite. Locally calcite replaces quartz. Zones of chloritic and argillic alteration, up to 1 metre wide, envelope the shear zone; chlorite replaces mafic minerals and clay minerals replace feldspar.

Production for the Roper vein is included with that for the Gold Field mine (MINFILE 092L 211). The combined occurrences are known as Spud Valley. Recorded production for the camp totals 9465 kilograms of gold and 4119 kilograms of silver from 652 000 tonnes of ore mined (Fieldwork 1982, page 291). Most production came from the Spud Valley deposits (MINFILE 092L 211 and 092L 013) and the Privateer mine (MINFILE 092L 008).

In 1942, 51 samples taken with 1.5-metre spacing from the No. 4 adit level yielded 2.0 grams per tonne gold over an average width of 18.5 centimetres and a length of 76.5 metres (Property File - Spud Valley Gold Mines Ltd. [1942-07-01]: Spud Valley - Plans - Profiles and Assays - Roper Vein 3 And 4 Levels - Zeballos). The no. 3 adit level averaged 30.5 grams per tonne gold over a width of 18 centimetres and a length of 70.5 metres from 47 samples taken with 1.5-metre spacing, whereas a short parallel drift on the No. 3 level averaged 5.4 grams per tonne gold over a width of 5.8 centimetres and a length of 18.0 metres (Property File - Spud Valley Gold Mines Ltd. [1942-07-01]: Spud Valley - Plans - Profiles And Assays - Roper Vein 3 And 4 Levels - Zeballos).

Proven/probable/possible reserves in four veins (combined with the Gold Field deposit, MINFILE 092L 211) total 220 429 tonnes grading 10.7 grams per tonne gold. In view of an unsuccessful 1989 mill test, the reserve figure of 49 890 tonnes in old workings grading 4.6 grams per tonne gold reported in 1942 near the end of the mine life may be more credible (McAdam Resources Inc. [1988-04-01]: Prospectus Report on the Spud Valley Project).

The area has been explored in conjunction with the nearby Gold Field (MINFILE 092L 211) past-producing mine since the 1930s. In 1937, Spud Valley Gold Mines Ltd. acquired the property and production occurred during 1938 through 1942. Development at this time included two adits (No.3 and 4), located at elevations of approximately 586 and 572 metres, respectively; a raise connecting the two adits and at least five surface opencuts.

During 1985 through 1989, McAdam Resources completed programs of diamond drilling, underground development and rehabilitation and mill testing on the Spud Valley property. This work was primarily performed on the adjacent Gold Field (MINFILE 092L 211) past-producing mine.

In 2005, Newmex Minerals Inc. prospected the area as part of the regionally extensive Zeballos property.