The Coquihalla Serpentine Belt forms a narrow, elongate, north- northwest –trending, steeply dipping unit separating supracrustal rocks of the Lower-Middle Jurassic Ladner Group to the east, from the Permian-Jurassic Hozameen Complex in the west. Dark, highly sheared to massive serpentinite, of probable peridotite parentage, characterizes the belt. It also contains substantial amounts of highly altered gabbro-diabase rocks.

The eastern margin of the serpentine belt is sharply delineated by the Hozameen fault. The western boundary is also represented by a major fracture which appears to dip steeply east. This is termed the "West" Hozameen fault and the serpentinites in this vicinity contain highly sheared talcose rocks.

The "East" Hozameen fault separates the serpentinite from the Ladner Group metasediments. The Ladner Group is comprised of a thick section of complexly folded black slate, cherts and intercalated basalts.

The serpentinite, derived from dunite to peridotite, has a complex association with diorite intrusions, which occur as dike-like bodies within the ultramafics. The contacts are commonly a locus of shearing. Details of the unsheared contact indicate a gradational change in mineralogy over a few centimetres. Carbonate is a common constituent in such localities, and occurs as stringers or disseminations throughout the rock. Tabular to lenticular unaltered diorite blocks also occur in the serpentinite.

The serpentinite is typically dark green or in some cases yellowish green, massive and dense with lustrous light- green, crystalline aggregates of bastite (altered enstatite). Areas of magnetite and chromite occur, but rarely of appreciable size.

Mineralization associated with the main body of serpentinite may be regarded as representing two types: one constituting an integral part of the original rock from which the serpentinite developed; and the other introduced or formed during, or subsequent to, serpentinization.

Minerals of the first type include magnetite, chromite and nickeliferous silicates while those of the second type include talc, asbestos, carbonates and quartz.

Both magnetite and chromite are common accessory minerals disseminated through the serpentinite in black grains or crystals. The magnetite generally occurs in small crystals or in granular masses rarely exceeding a few centimetres in diameter. Chromite, however, may occur in much larger masses, as is apparent from the reported discovery of blocks of the solid mineral up to several centimetres in diameter in serpentinite outcropping on the east side of Sowaqua Creek, on the hillside above the Peer River Place Company camp.

The nickel occurs in pyrrhotite with some pentlandite and is thought to be a primary constituent, replacing magnesia of the principal silicates, olivine and enstatite, composing the peridotitic rock subsequently altered to serpentinite.

In 1929, two samples of serpentinite taken across widths of several metres near the northeast and southwest contacts of the serpentinite belt, indicated appreciable amounts of both chromium and nickel, averaging 0.23 per cent nickel and 0.21 per cent chromium (GSC Summary Report 1929 Part A, page 182A).

In 2010, a rock sample (HNR2) assayed 0.145 per cent nickel and 0.118 per cent chromium (Assessment Report 31887). In 2011, a rock sample (2011-R27) from the Serp 3 claim assayed 0.211 per cent nickel, 0.011 per cent cobalt and 0.165 per cent chromium (Assessment Report 33220). In 2013, a rock sample (RV13-3), from a steep valley above Sowaqua Creek to the southwest, assayed 0.261 per cent nickel, 0.195 per cent chromium and 0.012 per cent cobalt (Assessment Report 34562).

In 1971, an airborne magnetic survey was completed on the area. The same year, Mountain Pass Mines completed a program of rock sampling on the area. In 1976, Caroline Mines completed 4.0 line-kilometres of ground magnetic surveys on the area as the Lake 1-5 claims. During 1979 through 1984, Aquarius Resources completed programs of soil and rock sampling on the area as the Jessi claims. In 1992, New Global Resources completed a program of prospecting on the area as the Wendy claim. In 1999, Hillsbar Gold completed a program of geological mapping and prospecting on the area as the Plat 5-6 claims. In 2000, Hope Quarries prospected and mapped the area as the Wendy claim. During 2008 through 2013, Almo Capital completed programs of rock and soil sampling on the area as the Serp 1-4 claims. In 2012, New Caroline Gold completed 434.4 line-kilometres of combined electromagnetic, magnetic and radiometric airborne geophysical surveys on the area.