The QUESNEL (L.12194) diatomite showings are on the upper west banks of the Fraser River in the Big Bend area, approximately 11 kilometres northwest of Quesnel, B.C.

Several exposures of pale buff to white diatomite occur in cliffs of the Fraser River over a length of about 2 kilometres north-south, constituting what is referred to as the Crownite Formation. The diatomite lies on a bed of light-grey clay below which is a thick sequence of sand, gravel, clay and some volcanic ash. The diatomite ranges from 10 to 30 metres thick.

The Late to Middle Miocene Crownite Formation is a recessive and poorly exposed lacustine diatomite with the occasional clay/mudstone interbed. Quaternary glacial till and related colluvium overlie the Crownite Formation. The Lower to Middle Miocene Fraser Bend Formation sands, gravel and clays, underlying the diatomite beds have been affected by extensive block sliding, making it difficult to estimate exact thicknesses of the diatomite beds.

Seven representative diatomite rock samples collected in 2016 showed ranging values of SiO2 from 53 to 71 per cent, Al2O3 values from 9 to 21 per cent and Fe2O3 values from 4 to 8 per cent. Sampling by Hora (2007) and Sigurgeirson (2016) returned approximately 70 per cent SiO2 for the buff-white samples and 50 to 60 per cent SiO2 for the denser brown material (values not normalized to a volatile-free basis). Whole rock analysis on samples taken in 2022 and normalized to 100 per cent volatile-free basis showed 83 to 89 per cent SiO2.

Mapping and rock sampling of the diatomite beds were accomplished over the period from 2016 to 2022 by H. Sigurgeirson for P. Meyers, tenure holder.