The Cove occurrence is located on the southern shore of Whitepine Cove, approximately 600 metres north west of a creek mouth of a stream flowing into the extreme south eastern corner of the cove.

The area is underlain by limestone correlative with the Upper Pennsylvanian to Lower Permian Azure Lake Formation of the Buttle Lake Group and argillite, siltstone, amphibolite and diabase of the Paleozoic Sicker Group. See H-W (092F 330) for a summary of recent revisions of Paleozoic strata in the Cowichan and Buttle Lake uplifts.

Scattered copper mineralization occurs on the south shore of Whitepine Cove and inland. Several outcrops consisting of limestone, chert, argillite, and diabase contain pyrite, chalcopyrite, and trace sphalerite. In 1986, one sample (18205) assayed 0.54 per cent copper, 0.19 per cent zinc, 0.1 grams per tonne gold and 3.8 grams per tonne silver (Assessment Report 15470).

In 1969 and 1971, Fort Reliance Minerals completed programs of geological mapping, silt and soil sampling and a ground magnetic survey on the area as the PW 15 and PW 16 claims. A previous 2.4 by 2.4 metre pit in massive crystal lithic tuffs was identified in the area and three (geochemical and geophysical) anomalous areas were identified to the south east on and around Bawden Bay (Assessment Report 3132). In 1986 and 1989, the area was prospected by R.H. Janes as the Cove 2 claim.