The Dougherty occurrence is located approximately 5.5 kilometres northeast of Fort Steele, or 20 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook on the southern end of the Northern Hughes Range, on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain Trench.

Regionally, the area is underlain by Middle Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Purcell Supergroup, thrust eastward from the Late Jurassic to Middle Cretaceous during the Laramide Orogeny event. The Purcell Supergroup consists of a synrift succession, the Aldridge and Fort Steele Formations, and a shallow water rift-fill sequence. The Aldridge Formation hosts Sullivan sedex type deposits. Structurally, the large faulting systems of the Boulder Creek fault, and the Rocky Mountain Trench fault are found in the surrounding area.

Locally the occurrence is found in the Middle to Upper sequences of the Aldridge Formation. The Middle Aldridge Formation comprises of medium-bedded quartzitic turbidites with intervals of interturbidite laminated siltstone units. The Upper Aldridge comprises of thin-bedded to laminated, pyrrhotite-rich argillite and siltstone. These units are intruded by laterally extensive gabbroic sills, and in some locations cross-cut stratigraphy as dikes. Lithologies from the Fort Steele Formation are observed in the northwest area of the property containing the occurrence. The formation is comprised of thick to medium-bedded, white quartz arenites and quartzites with minor interlayered siltstones. Massive, poorly bedded argillite with sparse lenses are also observed.

Mineralization occurs in a gold carrying quartz vein in calcareous sediments at the stratigraphic level of the Kootenay King quartzite unit. The vein is described as a northeast-striking vein up to 1 metre in thickness. Other mineralization of disseminated, wispy or laminated pyrite, pyrrhotite or chalcopyrite were observed.

The Dougherty occurrence was first reported on during an exploration program in the late 1880s.

In 1972, Dekalb Mining Corp. completed a soil survey on the Sully Property containing the occurrence.

In 1984, W.A. Bell completed a prospecting and rock analysis program on the property.

In 1985, Boomer Resources Inc. conducted an exploration program including a soil survey, ground geophysics survey, and geological mapping.

In 1987, Governor Resources Ltd. conducted a soil survey on the property.

In 1994, C. Newmarck conducted a prospecting and rock analysis program on the property.

In 1999, Klondike Gold Corp. conducted a soil survey and ground geophysics survey across the property containing the occurrence.

In 2000, Klondike Gold Corp. conducted a geological mapping and rock analysis program across the property containing the occurrence.

In 2001, Lone Peak Placer Ltd. conducted a geological mapping program across the property containing the occurrence.

In 2005, Klondike Gold Corp. completed an exploration program including diamond drilling, geological mapping, and gravity geophysics.

In 2012, Gravitas Metals Corp. conducted an exploration program including geophysics surveys and diamond drilling.