The Grey Copper occurrence is located about 2.2 kilometres south of the Stewart highway and approximately 5.7 kilometres east of the confluence of American Creek and the Bear River, 21 kilometres northeast of Stewart.

The area is underlain by east to east-southeast striking, gently north dipping andesitic tuffs and flows of the Lower Jurassic Unuk River Formation (Hazelton Group). A prominent, reddish brown weathering, argillite/tuff unit can be traced southeast across the centre of the Grey Copper claim. Pyrrhotite, with minor chalcopyrite and pyrite, commonly occurs near the top of the unit.

A brecciated zone strikes 060 degrees and dips about 60 degrees south. It is about 1.8 metres wide and occurs in argillite. The zone is cemented with calcite and contains a 15 centimetre wide(?) streak of tetrahedrite in the hangingwall.

The occurrence, on the Grey Copper claim(?), was first reported in 1916. Some opencutting was done that year and 1 tonne of ore was shipped from the property; 1 gram of gold, 11,235 grams of silver and 185 kilograms of lead were recovered. The Grey Copper, and contiguous Grey Copper No. 1 (Lot 4188) and 2 claims, were Crown granted in 1922. Stewart High Grades Limited optioned the property in 1925; no work was reported. In 1967, Cominco carried out detailed geological mapping over a large group of claims south of the Bear River, including the Grey Copper and Grey Copper No. 2 claims. No further work has been reported.

During 2005 through 2010, Auramex completed programs of prospecting, geological mapping, geochemical sampling and airborne geophysical surveys on the area as the Bear River-Surprise Creek property.