The Surprise Mountain area is underlain by rhythmically layered amygdaloidal, feldspar porphyritic and spherulitic basalt flows of the Upper Triassic Karmutsen Formation (Vancouver Group). Mineral- ized quartz and quartz-carbonate veins with variable sulphide content are associated with narrow, steeply dipping shear zones.

The Copper King occurrence is underlain by amygdaloidal basalt of the Karmutsen Formation cut by a minor shear structure striking 340 to 350 degrees and dipping 70 degrees east. The shear zone hosts minor pyritic quartz veins mineralized with chalcopyrite. A channel sample from a trench exposing slightly mineralized basalt assayed 0.2 per cent copper, 6.85 grams per tonne silver and 0.68 grams per tonne gold across 1.2 metres. A grab sample from dump material near a shallow shaft assayed 5.3 per cent copper (Minister of Mines Annual Report 1945, page A113).

Past work included a shallow shaft and some trenches.