The Mount Banner East occurrence is located approximately 15 kilometres east-northeast of Elkford, British Columbia.

Thirteen coal seams with an aggregate thickness of over 50 metres occur in the Jurassic-Cretaceous Mist Mountain Formation (435 metres) (Kootenay Group) interbedded with siltstone, silty shale, mudstone and sandstone. The #10 seam (stratigraphically lowest) consists of 7.61 metres of coal in 6 splits with 7.44 metres of rock interbedded. The #9 seam is 1.23 metres thick, C seam is 0 to 0.60 metres, D is 0 to 2.60 metres, E is 7.55 to 12.39 metres, F is 0 to 1.19 metres, G is 7.69 to 12.69 metres, H is 1.73 to 2.65 metres, I is 5.30 to 6.37 metres, J is 1.47 to 1.57 metres, K is 5.5 metres and L is 4.94 metres thick, respectively.

The area is located on the eastern limb of the Alexander Creek syncline (north-northwest trending), and contains several subsidiary northwest trending folds. The strata are cut by two north trending, west dipping thrust faults. The Ewin Pass thrust fault has a number of associated thrust faults and small drag folds.

Ranges of content (air dried basis to coal washed at 1.6 specific gravity) of ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon and sulphur are 5.87 to 12.54 per cent, 17.42 to 23.94 per cent, 58.30 to 71.85 per cent and 0.32 to 0.90 per cent respectively.

Exploration work completed by Crow’s Nest Resources Ltd. from 1980 through 1982 included geological mapping, hand and machine trenching, drilling, road construction, and coal analyses (Coal Assessment Reports 432, 433; Exploration and Mining 1982).

Approximately 8 million tonnes of geological in-place reserves (with open pit potential at an overburden ratio of approximately 3.5:1 cubic metres of rock per tonne of coal) are present in the Mount Banner East area. Grade based on reflectivity and average volatile matter content. Four seams greater than 5 metres thick, which dip south at about 20 degrees, may be amenable for underground hydraulic mining (1981).