The Hogem Ranges occurrence is situated at the south end of the Mitchell Range, approximately 40 kilometres southeast of Takla Landing. It is one of numerous small chromite occurrences located in the range (see 093N 033, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40).

The occurrences comprise small disseminated, aggregate (greater than 75 per cent) and massive chromite nodules and layers which are hosted by allochthonous, serpentinized harzburgite, formerly assigned to the Middle Permian to Late Triassic Trembleur intrusions, and now termed Mississippian to Triassic Oceanic Ultramafites. The intrusion is bound by north-northeast and east-trending lineaments and is both surrounded by, and hosts xenoliths of sedimentary rocks assigned to the Carboniferous to Jurassic Cache Creek Complex. For additional regional geology details, please refer to the Simpson, Bob and Irish occurrences (093N 033, 34, 35).

No recent information concerning this occurrence is available, but it was likely mapped by Whittaker as one of the seventeen occurrences he located in the area (Fieldwork 1982-1, Table 1, Figure 1).

Work History

Chromite was identified in the area by at least the early 1940s. Little or no other work is reported until at least the 1980s.

In 2004, the area was staked as the IR, PT, PD and OS claims by Ursula G. Mowat and a program of rock and silt sampling and geological mapping was completed. Sampling was reported to be disappointing in that no chromite was located and the rock samples that were analyzed contained no significant values in platinum group elements. Elevated nickel values were encountered in the ultramafics, especially on the IR and PD claims. Rock samples (B158738 and B158742) from the PT claim yielded up to 0.174 per cent nickel and 0.122 per cent chromium (Assessment Report 27857).

In 2009, FPX Nickel Corp. prospected and sampled the area as the Mesa 8-14 claims. Seven rock samples taken from the east-facing valley to the east of the occurrence yielded from 0.089 to 0.167 per cent nickel and up to 0.120 per cent chromium (Assessment Report 31553).