The SME occurrence is located on a ridge east of Nesbitt Lake, approximately 15 kilometres east of Ashcroft.

The area is underlain by Late Triassic-Early Jurassic Guichon Creek batholithic rocks comprising mainly quartz diorite and related dikes of the Border and Highland Valley phases. These have been overlain by Eocene Kamloops Group volcanics to the east.

Locally, disseminated chalcopyrite and malachite staining occurs in several quartz diorite outcrops.

In 1968 and 1969, Dusty Mac Mines completed programs of prospecting and minor trenching. In 1997, Causeway Mining staked the Barney 1-28 claims and completed programs of geological mapping, soil sampling and various geophysical surveys.