The lower Emory Creek area is underlain by metasediments and metaplutonic rocks of the Mesozoic Settler Schist and the Cretaceous and/or Tertiary Custer Gneiss. These rocks come in contact along the Hope fault, which parallels the Fraser River to the west. Eocene aged sediments overlie members of the Custer Gneiss immediately east of the fault.

North of Emory Creek, and in the area of the Hope fault, "significant showings of copper" have been located. Two short holes drilled to test one of these showings intersected copper-nickel mineralization. The best assay, 0.22 per cent nickel, came from hole C-1 between 14.33 and 15.85 metres; low copper and zinc values were also reported (Assessment Report 4422).