A single coal seam, the "Wilson Seam", occurs in the Wilson Creek area interbedded with sandy shale, sandstone and pebbly conglomerate of the Middle Jurassic Yakoun Group. The seam, which consists of high volatile "B" bituminous coal, varies from 1.2 to 5.5 metres thick and contains up to 4.9 metres of coal. The seam is divided into two benches by a 13 centimetre thick sandstone layer, 1.5 metres above the seam floor. The lower bench is dirty and contains several thin shale and bone coal bands. The upper bench, approximately 3.7 metres thick, consists entirely of coal with varying ash contents. The seam floor is sandstone while the roof is a pebbly sandstone.
Analyses of the coal indicates moisture contents ranging from 1.06 per cent to 2.65 per cent, volatile matter 6.1 per cent to 43.5 per cent (generally approximately 35 per cent), fixed carbon 31.2 per cent to 74.1 per cent (generally approximately 50 per cent), ash 2.92 per cent to 57.10 per cent (average less than approximately 20 per cent), and sulphur 0.5 per cent to 1.2 per cent.
The structure consists of a narrow synclinal basin trending northwest and plunging slightly north. The coal occurs on the west limb and central portions of the syncline. The coal bearing strata strike north-northwest and dip 60 to 80 degrees east. Minor folding occurs and locally northwest-southeast trending faults disrupt the structure.
Work done on the Camp Wilson occurrence includes two adits, one open cut, two shallow pits and five diamond-drill holes. Total underground workings consist of approximately 55.0 metres of drifts and crosscuts, and 12 metres of shafts.
Based on a 1.2 metre thickness of coal underlying an area of 0.78 square kilometres, the coal reserve of Camp Wilson is 1.22 million tonnes (Geological Survey of Canada, Summary Report 1912, page 37).
The coal showing is located at an elevation of about 76 metres near Wilson Creek, 22.5 kilometres west of Lawn Point.
By 1919, there were three work openings: No. I opening, on the east side of Wilson creek, consists of an adit 16.4 metres along the coal seam. At 2.4 kilometres from the entrance a winze 4.2 metres deep gave access to two drifts totalling 15.2 metres in length. A crosscut exposes the full width of the seam at the end of the northern drift. No. 2 opening, 122 metres southeast from No. 1, on the west side of Wilson creek, is a shaft 4.2 metres deep from which a drift runs south on the seam for 6 metres. No. 3 opening, 23 metres northwest from No. 1, is an adit and incline, partly on the seam and partly in the glacial till. Its total length in a northeast direction is 23 metres.
A 1912 sample gave the following analysist water, 2.44 per cent; volatile matter, 35.96 per cent; fixed carbon, 48.64 per cent; ash, 12.26 per cent; sulphur, 0.80 per cent.
A preliminary estimate of probable mineable reserves by Mackay for the Royal Commission on coal, in 1946, was 5,600,000 tons. In 1971 ownership belbriget to MacMillan, Bloedel and Power River Industries (Alberni) Ltd. An induced polarization survey was carried out by Trincon Exploration Survey Ltd.
