NOTE 5 – MINERAL PROPERTIES

As further discussed in Note 3, Joint Venture Arrangements, in May 2021, the Company assigned all rights and obligations related to the Round Top Project to Round Top in exchange for a 20% interest. The following discussion of the “August 2010 Lease”, “November 2011 Lease”, “March 2013 Lease”, and “October 2014 Surface Option and Water Lease” pertain to the Round Top Project.

August 2010 Lease

On August 17, 2010, the Company executed a new mining lease with the Texas General Land Office covering Sections 7 and 18 of Township 7, Block 71 and Section 12 of Block 72, covering approximately 860 acres at Round Top Mountain in Hudspeth County, Texas. The mining lease issued by the Texas General Land Office gives the Company the right to explore, produce, develop, mine, extract, mill, remove, and market rare earth elements, all other base and precious metals, industrial minerals and construction materials and all other minerals excluding oil, gas, coal, lignite, sulfur, salt, and potash. The term of the lease is nineteen years so long as minerals are produced in paying quantities.

Under the terms of the lease, the Company is obligated to pay the State of Texas a total lease bonus of $142,518. The Company paid $44,718 upon the execution of the lease, and Round Top will pay the remaining $97,800 upon submission of a supplemental plan of operations to conduct mining. Upon the sale of any minerals removed from the Round Top Project, Round Top will pay the State of Texas a $500,000 minimum advance royalty. Thereafter, if paying quantities of minerals are obtained, Round Top will pay the State of Texas a production royalty equal to eight percent of the market value of uranium and other fissionable materials removed and sold from the Round Top Project and six and one quarter percent of the market value of all other minerals removed and sold. If paying quantities have not been obtained, Round Top may pay additional delay rental fees to extend the term of the lease for successive one (1) year periods pursuant to the following schedule: 

Schedule of August 2010 Lease

In August 2022, our joint venture partner paid the State of Texas a delay rental to extend the term of the lease in an amount equal to $134,155.

November 2011 Lease

On November 1, 2011, the Company executed a mining lease with the State of Texas covering approximately 90 acres of land that is adjacent to the August 2010 Lease. Under the lease, the Company paid the State of Texas a lease bonus of $20,700 upon the execution of the lease. Upon the sale of minerals removed from the Round Top Project, Round Top will pay the State of Texas a $50,000 minimum advance royalty. Thereafter, if paying quantities of minerals are obtained, Round Top will pay the State of Texas a production royalty equal to eight percent of the market value of uranium and other fissionable materials removed and sold from the Round Top Project and six and one quarter percent of the market value of all other minerals. If paying quantities have not been obtained, Round Top may pay additional delay rental fees to extend the term of the lease for successive one (1) year periods pursuant to the following schedule:

Schedule of November 2011 Lease

In August 2022, our joint venture partner paid the State of Texas a delay rental to extend the term of the lease in an amount equal to $13,500.

March 2013 Lease

On March 6, 2013, the Company purchased the surface lease at the Round Top Project, known as the West Lease, from the Southwest Wildlife and Range Foundation (since renamed the Rio Grande Foundation) for $500,000 cash and 1,063,830 shares of common stock valued at $500,000. The Company also agreed to support the Foundation through an annual payment of $45,000 for ten years to support conservation efforts within the Rio Grande Basin, particularly Lake Amistad, a large and well-known fishing lake near Del Rio, Texas. The West Lease comprises approximately 54,990 acres. Most importantly, the purchase of the surface lease provides the Company unrestricted surface access for the potential development and mining of the Round Top Project.

October 2014 Surface Option and Water Lease

On October 29, 2014, the Company announced the execution of agreements with the Texas General Land Office securing the option to purchase the surface rights covering the potential Round Top project mine and plant areas and, separately, a lease to develop the water necessary for the potential Round Top Project mine operations. The option to purchase the surface rights covers approximately 5,670 acres over the mining lease and the additional acreage adequate to site all potential heap leaching and processing operations as currently anticipated by the Company. Round Top may exercise the option for all or part of the option acreage at any time during the sixteen-year primary term of the mineral lease. The option can be maintained through annual payments of $10,000. The purchase price will be the appraised value of the surface at the time of option exercise. All annual payments have been made as of the date of this filing.

The ground water lease secures the right to develop the ground water within a 13,120-acre lease area located approximately 4 miles from the Round Top deposit. The lease area contains five existing water wells. It is anticipated that all potential water needs for the Round Top project mine operations would be satisfied by the existing wells covered by this water lease. This lease terms include an annual minimum production payment of $5,000 prior to production of water for the operation. After initiation of production the Company will pay $0.95 per thousand gallons or $20,000 annually, whichever is greater. This lease remains in effect so long as the mineral lease is in effect.

Santa Fe Gold Corporation

In November 2021, the Company entered into a mineral exploration and option agreement with Santa Fe Gold Corporation (“Santa Fe”). Under the option agreement, the Company and Santa Fe plan to pursue, negotiate and subsequently enter into a joint venture agreement to jointly explore and develop a target silver property to be selected by the Company among patented and unpatented mining claims held by Santa Fe within the Black Hawk Mining District in Grant County, New Mexico. Completion of a joint venture agreement, if any, is subject to the successful outcome of a multi-phase exploration plan leading to a bankable feasibility study to be undertaken in the near future by the Company. Under the contemplated terms of the proposed joint venture agreement, the Company would be project operator and initially own 50.5% of the joint venture while Santa Fe would initially own 49.5%. Additional terms of the joint venture are expected to be negotiated between the Company and Santa Fe in the future. 

Under the terms of the option agreement, the Company plans to conduct a district-wide evaluation among the patented and unpatented claims held by Santa Fe, consisting of geologic mapping, sampling, trenching, radiometric surveying, geophysics, drilling and/or other methods as warranted. Based on the district-wide evaluation, the Company will designate one 80-acre tract as the “project area” and commence detailed exploration work. The property covered in the option agreement is approximately 1,300 acres and covers approximately 75% of the known mining district. The area to be studied also includes a two-mile radius “area of interest.” The option agreement provides the Company with the right to designate any properties within the “area of interest” as “project area” properties.

The term of the option is for so long as the Company continues to conduct exploration activities in the Project Area and can be exercised on 60 days’ notice to Santa Fe.

Additionally, in November 2021, the Company entered into a financing and purchase option agreement with Greentech Minerals Holdings, Inc. (“Greentech”); however, Greentech determined not to pursue this financing option. The Company is currently pursuing other financing sources.