Solitario Zinc Corp. (XPL) 2023年年度報告「AMEX」.pdf

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1、 1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington,D.C.20549 FORM 10-K (Mark One)X Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the fiscal year ended December 31,2023 or Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange

2、 Act of 1934 For the transition period from to Commission file number 001-32978 SOLITARIO RESOURCES CORP.(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)Colorado(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)84-1285791(I.R.S.Employer Identification No.)4251 Kipling St.Suite 390,Whea

3、t Ridge,CO(Address of principal executive offices)80033(Zip Code)Registrants telephone number,including area code(303)534-1030 Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act:Title of each class Trading symbol Name of exchange on which registered Common Stock,$0.01 par value XPL NYSE Ameri

4、can Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g)of the Act:None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer,as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.YES NO X Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section

5、 15(d)of the Act.YES X NO Indicate by check mark whether the registrant(1)has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d)of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months(or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports),and(2)has

6、 been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.YES X NO Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(232.405 of this chapter)during the preceding 12 months(or for

7、 such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).YES X NO Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer,an accelerated filer,a non-accelerated filer,a smaller reporting company,or an emerging growth company.See the definitions of large accelera

8、ted filer,accelerated filer,smaller reporting company and“emerging growth company”in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:Large accelerated filer Accelerated filer Non-accelerated filer X Smaller reporting company X Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company,indicate by check mark if the regist

9、rant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a)of the Exchange Act.Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its managements assessment of t

10、he effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b)of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act(15 U.S.C.7262(b)by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.YES NO X If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b)of the Act,indicate by chec

11、k mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensati

12、on received by any of the registrants executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to 240.10D-1(b).Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company(as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).YES NO X The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock he

13、ld by non-affiliates of the registrant as of the last business day of the registrants most recently completed second fiscal quarter,based upon the closing sale price of the registrants common stock on June 30,2023 as reported on NYSE American,was approximately$33,558,000.2 There were 79,636,358 shar

14、es of common stock,$0.01 par value,outstanding on March 21,2024.DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement for the Registrants Annual Meeting of Shareholders,which is expected to be filed by April 29,2024,have been incorporated by reference into Part III of this A

15、nnual Report on Form 10-K.3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PART 1 Item 1 Business 4 Item 1A Risk Factors 7 Item 1B Unresolved Staff Comments 15 Item 1C Cybersecurity 15 Item 2 Properties 16 Item 3 Legal Proceedings 40 Item 4 Mine Safety Disclosures 40 PART II Item 5 Market for Registrants Common Equity,Rela

16、ted Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 41 Item 6 Reserved 41 Item 7 Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 42 Item 7A Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 50 Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary D

17、ata 51 Item 9 Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 70 Item 9A Controls and Procedures 70 Item 9B Other Information 70 Item 9C Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 70 PART III Item 10 Directors,Executive Officers and Corpo

18、rate Governance 71 Item 11 Executive Compensation 71 Item 12 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 71 Item 13 Certain Relationships and Related Transactions,and Director Independence 72 Item 14 Principal Accounting Fees and Services 72 PART IV

19、 Item 15 Exhibits,Financial Statement Schedules 73 Item 16 Form 10-K Summary 73 SIGNATURES 74 4 PART I This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933,as amended,and Section 21E of the Secu

20、rities Exchange Act of 1934,as amended(the“Exchange Act”).These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical information and include the words expects,believes,anticipates,plans,may,will,intend,estimate,continue or other similar expressions.These forward-lo

21、oking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated.These risks and uncertainties include,but are not limited to,items discussed below in Item 1A Risk Factors in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.Forward-

22、looking statements speak only as of the date made.We undertake no obligation to publicly release or update forward-looking statements,whether as a result of new information,future events or otherwise.You are,however,advised to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our quarte

23、rly reports on Form 10-Q and any current reports made on Form 8-K to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission(the SEC).Item 1.Business Business and Company Formation Solitario Resources Corp.(“Solitario”or the“Company”)is an exploration stage company as defined by rules issued by the SEC

24、.Solitario was incorporated in the State of Colorado on November 15,1984.Solitario has been actively involved in mineral exploration since 1993.Solitarios primary business is to acquire exploration mineral properties and/or discover economic deposits on its mineral properties and advance these depos

25、its,either on its own or through joint ventures,up to the development stage of the project.At that point,or sometime prior to that point,Solitario would likely attempt to sell its mineral properties,pursue their development either on its own or through a joint venture with a partner that has experti

26、se in mining operations,or create a royalty with a third party that continues to advance the property.Solitario has never developed a property.Solitarios primary focus is on the acquisition and exploration of precious metal,zinc and other base metal exploration mineral properties.In addition to focu

27、sing on its mineral exploration properties and the evaluation of mineral properties for acquisition,Solitario also from time to time evaluates potential strategic transactions as a means to acquire an interest in new precious and base metal properties and assets with exploration potential or other p

28、otential corporate transactions that Solitario determines to be favorable to Solitario.Solitario has recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral properties,including the sale of certain mineral royalties.Revenues and/or proceeds from the sale or joint venture of properties or assets,althou

29、gh significant when they occur,have not been a consistent annual source of cash and would only occur in the future,if at all,on an infrequent basis.Solitario currently considers its Golden Crest project in South Dakota,its carried interest in the Florida Canyon project in Peru,and its interest in th

30、e Lik project in Alaska to be its core mineral property assets.Nexa Resources,Ltd.(“Nexa”),Solitarios joint venture partner at Florida Canyon,is continuing the furtherance of the Florida Canyon project and Solitario is monitoring the progress at Florida Canyon.Solitario is working with its 50%joint

31、venture partner,Teck American Inc.,a wholly owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited(both companies are referred to in this Annual Report as“Teck”)at its Lik project.Teck completed a drilling program and conducted mapping and ground gravity geophysical activities at the Lik project during 2022 and

32、 2023.Solitario is conducting mineral exploration on its Golden Crest project on its own.As of December 31,2023,Solitario anticipates using its cash and short-term investments,in part,to further fund the exploration of its Golden Crest,Florida Canyon,and Lik projects and to potentially acquire addit

33、ional mineral property assets.The fluctuations in precious metal and other commodity prices contribute to a challenging environment for mineral exploration and development,which has created opportunities as well as challenges for the potential acquisition of early-stage and advanced mineral explorat

34、ion projects or other related assets on potentially attractive terms.Human Capital Management As of December 31,2023,Solitario had six full-time employees and three part-time seasonal employees.In addition,we use consultants and contractors with specific skills to assist with exploration activities,

35、administration,due diligence,environmental and regulatory compliance,corporate governance,and asset and operations management.Our compensation programs are designed to align compensation of our employees with Solitarios corporate objectives and performance and are designed to provide incentives to a

36、ttract,retain and motivate our employees and contractors to achieve their highest potential over both the short-term and long-term.The health and safety of our employees and others is a priority in how we manage and operate our business.Overall oversite of the operations is the responsibility of Sol

37、itarios Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Directors.Officers and 5 employees are required to review Solitarios Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and acknowledge their understanding of the content and intent to comply on a periodic basis.Solitario values the diversity and talents of its empl

38、oyees working together to achieve corporate goals and personal and professional goals and objectives.We seek to cultivate a culture that is sensitive to the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are committed to continuous improvement in these areas.Environmental,Social and Gove

39、rnance Solitario has a long history of committed environmental,social and responsible governance(“ESG”)of its business.ESG issues are important to Solitarios investors,employees,and stakeholders,including communities in which we work.Solitario pledges to operate our business in a manner that support

40、s environmental and social initiatives and responsible corporate governance.We work closely with our employees,government agencies,local communities and other stakeholders in the areas where we operate to include their interests and concerns to arrive at environmentally sound and socially responsibl

41、e outcomes related to all of our operations.We believe our joint venture partners not only value the importance of ESG issues in the conduct of their activities on our projects but are also industry leaders on these important issues.Risks and Uncertainties Solitario is subject to various risks and u

42、ncertainties that are specific to the nature of its business and the exploration of its mineral properties.Solitario also faces various macro risks and uncertainties,such as risks related to health epidemics,pandemics,and other outbreaks or resurgences of communicable diseases,the occurrence of natu

43、ral disasters,rising geopolitical tension and instability,acts of war or terrorism,global economic uncertainty,inflationary pressures,increased interest rates,and volatility and disruption in national and international financial markets.These risks and uncertainties could significantly disrupt Solit

44、arios operations and may materially and adversely affect its business and financial condition.Certain of these risks and uncertainties are discussed under the heading“Risk Factors”below in Item 1A of this Annual Report.Solitario will continue taking proactive steps to monitor and address the impacts

45、 of these risks and uncertainties on its operations,financial condition,and liquidity.Such steps may include,for example,modifying the scope of exploration projects to the extent necessary to respond to public-health emergencies,a step Solitario and its joint venture partners took to address the imp

46、acts of the COVID-19 pandemic;reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency in response to inflationary stress and economic downturn;and performing ongoing evaluations of the potential impacts of market volatility,general economic uncertainty,and rising geopolitical tension on Solitarios abil

47、ity to access future traditional funding sources on the same or reasonably similar terms as in past periods.While Solitario will continue to monitor and address the effects of these risks and uncertainties,the extent to which they ultimately impact Solitarios business,including its exploration and o

48、ther activities and the market for its securities,will depend on future developments,which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted at this time.Corporate Structure Solitario Resources Corp.Colorado -Golden Crest Project South Dakota(100%)-Zazu Metals Corporation.Canada(100%)-Zazu Metals(AK)Corp

49、.Alaska(100%)-Lik Project(50%)-Minera Chambara,S.A.Peru(85%)-Chambara Project-Minera Solitario Peru,S.A.Peru(100%)-Minera Bongar,S.A.Peru(39%)-Florida Canyon Project -Minera Soloco,S.A.Peru(100%)Mineral Exploration Properties We hold a 50%operating interest in the Lik zinc-lead-silver property in no

50、rthwest Alaska,which is estimated to contain a large tonnage,high-grade deposit potentially mineable by open-pit methods.Teck is a 50%partner with Solitario in the Lik deposit,with Teck acting as the project manager from 2018 through 2023.In late 2021 Solitario engaged Gustavson&Associates to comple

51、te a S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary on the Lik project(the“S-K 1300 Lik TRS”)which was completed in March 2022.A Preliminary Economic Assessment(“PEA”)was completed on the Lik deposit in 2014.Solitario also has a 39%interest in the advanced,high-grade,Florida Canyon zinc project located in northe

52、rn Peru.The project has a significant mineral resource and Solitario is fully carried to production by its joint venture partner Nexa,6 formerly Votorantim Metais Holdings,SA(“Votorantim”)and Compaa Minera Milpo S.A.A.(“Milpo”).Nexa is one of the largest zinc producers in Peru.In late 2021 Solitario

53、 engaged Gustavson&Associates to complete a S-K 1300 Technical Report Summary on the Florida Canyon Project(the“S-K 1300 Florida Canyon TRS”)which was completed in March 2022.Solitario and Nexa completed a PEA on the Florida Canyon deposit in August 2017.Except for the 2018-2019 drilling program for

54、 which Solitario voluntarily funded$1,580,000 of the 39-hole 17,033-meter drilling program,Nexa has funded 100%of project expenditures since the inception of the Florida Canyon joint venture in 2006.Nexa will increase its ownership to a 70%interest in the project from its current ownership of 61%,by

55、 continuing to solely fund all project expenditures and committing to place the project into production based upon a positive feasibility study.After earning 70%,and at the request of Solitario,in the event Nexa makes the decision to develop the Florida Canyon project,Nexa has agreed to finance Soli

56、tarios 30%participating interest for any development costs through a future loan facility to Solitario.Solitario would then repay the loan facility through 50%of its net cash flow distributions from the project.During 2021 Solitario entered into a lease agreement with Golden Crest II,LLC,a Wyoming l

57、imited liability company(the“GC Agreement”)whereby Solitario acquired exclusive exploration rights in certain claims(the“GC Claims”)in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.The GC Claims are part of Solitarios Golden Crest project.Terms of the GC Agreement include required scheduled payments by Sol

58、itario to the underlying owner of$65,000(paid upon signing)and an obligation to pay the underlying owner$60,000 at the first anniversary date which was paid in June 2022.Solitario recorded an initial acquisition cost of$125,000 during 2021 related to these required payments.In addition,to continue t

59、he lease,Solitario has agreed to pay,at its option,the underlying owner escalating annual payments that over five years total$340,000 and annual payments of$150,000 thereafter,which will be expensed as paid.Solitario has agreed to pay the underlying owner an additional success fee of$1.00 per ounce

60、of gold in the event Solitario files a 43-101 qualified resource of up to 1.5 million ounces of gold or a maximum of$1,500,000.In order to maintain the lease in good standing,Solitario has agreed to escalating work commitments,on the GC Claims and a related area of interest around the GC Claims tota

61、ling$3,000,000 during the first five years of the lease,with the first and second-year minimum expenditures totaling$600,000 ending June 2022.Solitario has exceeded the minimum exploration expenditures required through 2023.The term of the GC Agreement is for twenty years and is automatically extend

62、ed as long as Solitario is performing any exploration,development or mining activities on the GC Claims.The underlying owner retained a 2.0%Net Smelter Return royalty.Solitario will have the option,but not the obligation,to reduce the Net Smelter Return royalty to 1.0%by paying the owner$1,000,000.I

63、n addition,Solitario staked additional mineral claims,including some claims included in the area of interest of the GC Claims and claims not related to the GC Claims,as part of the Golden Crest project.As of December 31,2023,Solitario has incurred costs for staking,filing fees,legal and other costs

64、totaling$1,035,000 capitalized as initial acquisition costs related to claims on the Golden Crest project.At December 31,2023,Solitario also holds an 85%interest in the Chambara exploration project in Peru.Nexa holds the remaining 15%interest.We conduct exploration and property evaluation activities

65、 in Peru and in the United States in Alaska and South Dakota either on our own using contract geologists,or through joint ventures operated by our partners.Our exploration activities and those of our joint venture partners are carried out on a property-by-property basis.These activities may include

66、prospecting,geologic mapping,sampling,geophysics and drilling.When we determine that this work indicates a project may not be economically feasible or not contain sufficient geologic or economic potential,we may impair or completely write-off the property.A significant factor in the success or failu

67、re of our activities is the price of commodities.For example,when the price of zinc,gold or other commodities is down,we may determine that the value of our mineral exploration properties decreases;however,during such down markets it may also become easier and less expensive to locate and acquire ne

68、w mineral exploration properties.We have recorded revenue in the past from the sale of mineral properties and assets,joint venture property payments and the sale of royalties.Proceeds from the sale or joint venture of properties and royalty sales,although potentially significant when they occur,have

69、 not been a consistent source of cash and may only occur in the future,if at all,on an infrequent basis.Accordingly,while we conduct exploration activities on our projects,we need to maintain and replenish our capital resources.Historically,we have met our need for capital through(i)the sale of our

70、investments in,and interest on,money market accounts and our short-term treasury notes and bank certificates of deposit(“CDs”);(ii)issuances of common stock;(iii)sales of our shares of common stock of Vendetta Mining Corp.(“Vendetta”),Vox Royalty Corp.(“Vox”)and Kinross Gold Corporation(“Kinross”);(

71、iv)sales of covered call options on common stock of Kinross we hold;and(v)sale of mineral property interests and assets.In certain cases,we have reduced our exposure to the costs of our exploration activities through the use of joint ventures.We operate in one segment:mineral exploration.We currentl

72、y conduct,whether directly or through our joint venture partners,exploration activities in Peru,Alaska and South Dakota and evaluate properties for potential acquisition and 7 evaluation of strategic corporate opportunities throughout North and South America.As of March 21,2024,we had six full-time

73、employees located in the United States and no full-time employees outside of the United States.We utilize contract managers,geologists,administrators and part-time laborers to execute our Latin American and North American project work and acquisition evaluations.A large number of companies are engag

74、ed in the acquisition,exploration and development of mineral properties,many of which have substantially greater technical and financial resources than we have and,accordingly,we may be at a disadvantage in being able to compete effectively for the acquisition,exploration and development of mineral

75、properties.We are not aware of any single competitor or group of competitors that dominate the exploration and development of mineral properties.In acquiring mineral properties for exploration and development,we rely on the experience,technical expertise and knowledge of our employees,contractors an

76、d advisors,which is limited by the size of our company compared to many of our competitors who may have greater resources,including more employees or employees with more specialized knowledge and experience.Governmental Regulations Mineral development and exploration activities are subject to variou

77、s national,state/provincial,and local laws and regulations,which govern prospecting,permitting,development,mining,production,exports,taxes,labor standards,occupational health,waste disposal,protection of the environment,mine safety,hazardous substances and other matters.Similarly,if any of our prope

78、rties are developed and/or mined those activities are also subject to significant governmental regulation and oversight.We are required to obtain licenses,permits and other authorizations in order to maintain our various mineral property rights and interests and to conduct our exploration programs.O

79、ur failure to comply with any of these requirements could result in the loss of our ability to conduct mining activities in a particular location,which could have a material adverse impact on our business.Environmental Regulations Our current and planned activities are subject to various national an

80、d local laws and regulations governing protection of the environment.These laws are continually changing and,in general,are becoming more restrictive.We are required to conduct our operations in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.Changes to current local,state or federal laws and regula

81、tions in each jurisdiction in which we conduct our exploration activities could,in the future,require additional capital expenditures and increased operating and/or reclamation costs.We have reviewed and considered current federal legislation relating to climate change and given our current small si

82、ze and limited activities,we do not believe it to currently have a material effect on our operations.Future changes in U.S.federal or state laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect upon us and our results of operations.Although we are unable to predict what additional legislation,if

83、any,might be proposed or enacted,additional regulatory requirements could impact the economics of our projects.During 2023,we had no material environmental incidents or known non-compliance with any applicable environmental regulations.Financial Information about Geographic Areas Included in the con

84、solidated balance sheets at December 31,2023 and 2022,are total assets of$37,000 and$31,000,respectively,related to Solitarios operations located outside of the United States.Available Information We file our Annual Report on Form 10-K,our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,current reports on Form 8-K,a

85、nd any amendments to those reports electronically with the SEC.The SEC maintains a website(http:/www.sec.gov)that contains periodic reports,proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants,including the Company,that file electronically with the SEC.Paper copies of our Ann

86、ual Report to Shareholders,our Annual Report on Form 10-K,our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q,current reports on Form 8-K,and any amendments to those reports are available free of charge by writing to Solitario at its address on the front of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.In addition,electronic vers

87、ions of the reports we file with the SEC are available on our website,as soon as practicable,after filing with the SEC.Item 1A.Risk Factors In addition to considering the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K,you should consider carefully the following factors.The risks described belo

88、w are the significant risks we face and include all material risks of which we are aware.Additional risks not presently known to us or risks that we currently consider immaterial may also adversely affect our business.8 Risks Related to Our Business and Industry Our mineral exploration activities in

89、volve a high degree of risk,and a significant portion of our business model envisions the sale or joint venture of mineral properties.If we are unable to sell or joint venture these properties,the money spent on acquisition and exploration of our mineral properties may never be recovered and we coul

90、d incur an impairment of our investments in our projects.The exploration for mineral deposits involves significant financial and other risks over an extended period of time.Few properties that are explored are ultimately developed into producing mines.Major expenditures are required to determine if

91、any of our mineral properties may have the potential to be commercially viable,be salable or joint ventured.From time to time,we may acquire a mineral property asset and later determine to abandon that project for various reasons,and as a result costs incurred to acquire the asset,and any costs incu

92、rred for initial exploration efforts will be lost.Moreover,significant expenses and risks,including drilling and determining the feasibility of a project,are required prior to the establishment of reserves.It is impossible to ensure that the current or proposed exploration programs on properties in

93、which we have an interest will be commercially viable or that we will be able to sell,joint venture or develop our properties.Whether a mineral deposit will be commercially viable depends on a number of factors,some of which are the particular attributes of the deposit,such as its size and grade,cos

94、ts and efficiency of the recovery methods that can be employed,proximity to infrastructure,commodity prices,financing costs and governmental regulations,including regulations relating to prices,taxes,royalties,infrastructure,land use,importing and exporting of mineral products and environmental prot

95、ection.We believe the data obtained from our own exploration activities or our partners activities to be reliable;however,the nature of exploration of mineral properties and analysis of geological information is often subjective,and data and conclusions are subject to uncertainty.Even if exploration

96、 activities determine that a project is commercially viable,it is impossible to ensure that such determination will result in a profitable sale of the project or development either on our own or by a joint venture in the future and that such project will result in profitable commercial mining operat

97、ions.If we determine that capitalized costs associated with any of our mineral interests are not likely to be recovered,we would incur an impairment of our investment in such property interest.All of these factors may result in losses in relation to amounts spent,which are not recoverable.We have ex

98、perienced losses of this type from time to time in the past and may record mineral property impairments in the future.We have no reported mineral reserves as defined by SEC rules,and our current projects and assets,and any projects we may acquire are not likely to offer the opportunity for near term

99、 revenues or sale proceeds.If we are unsuccessful in identifying mineral reserves in the future,we may not be able to realize any profit from our property interests.None of our current projects have reported mineral reserves as those terms are used in SEC rules.Any mineral reserves on these projects

100、 will only come from extensive additional exploration,engineering and evaluation of existing or future mineral properties.The lack of reserves on these mineral properties could prohibit us from any near-term sale or joint venture of our mineral properties and we would not be able to realize any proc

101、eeds and or profit from our interests in such mineral properties,which could materially adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.We have mineral resources reported on our Florida Canyon and Lik projects upon which we do not exercise 100%control.The potential for reported mine

102、ral reserves on these projects is dependent on additional geologic work and economic evaluation which our joint venture partners may or may not conduct,and there can be no assurance that if such activities are performed that these will result in a positive feasibility or other study to allow the min

103、eral resources to be upgraded to mineral reserves as defined by SEC rules,and as a result we may not be able to sell or otherwise realize any profit from our property interests in the Florida Canyon or Lik projects.Our Florida Canyon and Lik projects have reported mineral resources in accordance wit

104、h SEC rules.The estimation of mineral resources is imprecise and depends upon subjective factors.The mineral resource figures presented in our public filings are estimates made by our technical personnel and independent mining consultants with whom we contract.Mineral resource estimates are a functi

105、on of geological and engineering analyses that require us to make assumptions about production costs,recoveries and gold,zinc and other precious metal market prices.While the Company believes that its mineral resource estimates are developed using well-established practices and with appropriate cont

106、rols,mineral resource estimation is an imprecise and subjective process.The accuracy of these estimates is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretation,judgment and experience.Assumptions about gold,zinc and other previous metal market prices are subje

107、ct to great uncertainty as those prices fluctuate widely.Declines in the market prices of gold,silver,zinc or lead may render mineral resources containing relatively lower grades of mineralization uneconomic to exploit,and we may be required to reduce mineral resource estimates,discontinue explorati

108、on at one or more of our properties or write down assets as impaired.Should we encounter mineralization or geologic formations at any of our projects that are different from those predicted,we may adjust our mineral resource estimates and alter our exploration or development plans.9 Moreover,these r

109、esources at our Florida Canyon and Lik projects may never be upgraded to mineral reserves without significant additional geologic work,including additional drilling,economic and environmental analysis,and the completion of a feasibility or other study to demonstrate the mineral potential and economi

110、c viability of these projects.To a significant degree,the completion of this work and a feasibility or other appropriate study is dependent on our joint venture partners desire to do so,over which we have limited influence.In addition,there is no assurance that if such work and studies are undertake

111、n and completed,that either or both of these projects will be determined to be economically viable.The lack of reserves on these mineral properties could prohibit us from any near-term sale or joint venture of such mineral properties and we would not be able to realize any proceeds and or profit fro

112、m our interests in such mineral properties,which could materially adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.Our Golden Crest project is an early-stage exploration project with no mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined by SEC rules.There can be no assurance that addit

113、ional geologic work will result in reported mineral resources or mineral reserves in the future.If we are unsuccessful in identifying mineral reserves in the future,we may not be able to sell or otherwise realize any profit from our property interests.Our Golden Crest project,which was acquired duri

114、ng 2021,has no reported mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined by SEC rules.We have conducted limited geologic activities at the Golden Crest project consisting primarily of soil and rock sampling,geophysical studies.Additional geologic,environmental,and economic work would be required to

115、allow us to report mineral resources at the Golden Crest project,including drilling and completion of a preliminary economic study.Furthermore,significant additional work would be required to prepare a feasibility or other study to allow us to report mineral reserves at the Golden Crest project.Ther

116、e can be no assurance that if such work is completed that the results would allow us to report either mineral resources or mineral reserves in the future.The lack of mineral resources or mineral reserves at the Golden Crest project could prohibit us from any near-term sale or joint venture of our in

117、terest in the Golden Crest project and we may not be able to realize any proceeds and or profit from our interests in the Golden Crest project,which could materially adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.Our business is dependent on the market price of certain commodities,

118、particularly gold and zinc,and currency exchange rates over which we have no control.Our operations and the value of our mineral properties are significantly affected by changes in the market price of commodities since the evaluation of whether a mineral deposit is commercially viable is heavily dep

119、endent upon the market price of the commodities related to any specific project.Because our core assets are currently in zinc and gold related projects,the spot price of zinc and gold is particularly important to the value of our assets and future prospects.The price of commodities also affects the

120、value of exploration projects we own or may wish to acquire or joint venture.These commodity prices fluctuate on a daily basis and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control.The supply and demand for commodities,the level of interest rates,the rate of inflation,investment decisions by large

121、 holders of these commodities,including governmental reserves,and stability of exchange rates can all cause significant fluctuations in prices.Currency exchange rates relative to the United States dollar can affect the cost of doing business in a foreign country in United States dollar terms,which i

122、s our functional currency.Consequently,the cost of conducting exploration in the countries where we operate,accounted for in United States dollars,can fluctuate based upon changes in currency exchange rates and may be higher than we anticipate in terms of United States dollars because of a decrease

123、in the relative strength of the United States dollar to currencies of the countries where we operate.We currently do not hedge against currency or commodity fluctuations.The prices of commodities as well as currency exchange rates have fluctuated widely and future significant price declines in commo

124、dities or changes in currency exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.Mineral exploration activities are inherently dangerous and could cause us to incur significant unexpected costs,including legal liability for loss of life,damage to p

125、roperty and environmental damage,any of which could materially adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.Mining exploration operations are subject to the hazards and risks normally related to exploration of a mineral deposit,including,but not limited to mapping and sampling,dr

126、illing,road building,trenching,assaying and analyzing rock samples,transportation over primitive roads or via small contract aircraft or helicopters and severe weather conditions.Any of the hazards of mineral exploration could result in damage to life or property,and environmental damage,and possibl

127、e legal liability for such damage.Any of these risks could cause us to incur significant unexpected costs that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and ability to finance our exploration and development activities.Our operations outside of the United States of America may

128、be adversely affected by factors outside of our control,such as changing political,local and economic conditions,any of which could materially adversely affect our financial position or results of operations.10 Our mineral properties located in Peru consist primarily of mineral concessions granted b

129、y national governmental agencies and are held 100%by us or in conjunction with our joint venture partners,or under lease,option or purchase agreements.Currently a portion of our mineral properties are located in Peru and we have previously held mineral properties and royalties on non-producing explo

130、ration properties in Peru,Mexico,Argentina,Bolivia and Brazil.Our current exploration activities and mineral properties located outside of the United States are subject to the laws of Peru(and any other countries in which we may conduct business).Exploration and potential development activities in o

131、ther countries where we may conduct exploration are potentially subject to political and economic risks,including:cancellation or renegotiation of contracts;disadvantages of competing against companies from countries that are not subject to U.S.laws and regulations,including the U.S.Foreign Corrupt

132、Practices Act(“FCPA”);changes in foreign laws or regulations;changes in tax laws;royalty and tax increases or claims by governmental entities,including retroactive claims;expropriation or nationalization of property;currency fluctuations(particularly related to a change in the U.S.dollar compared to

133、 local currencies);foreign exchange controls;restrictions on the ability for us to hold U.S.dollars or other foreign currencies in offshore bank accounts;import and export regulations;environmental controls;risks of loss due to community opposition to our activities,civil strife,acts of war,guerrill

134、a activities,insurrection and terrorism;and other risks arising out of foreign sovereignty over the areas in which our exploration activities are conducted.Accordingly,our current exploration activities outside of the United States may be substantially affected by factors beyond our control,any of w

135、hich could materially adversely affect the value of certain of our assets or results of operations.Furthermore,in the event of a dispute arising from such activities,we would likely be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts outside of the United States or may not be successful in subjecting

136、 persons to the jurisdictions of the courts in the United States,which could adversely affect the outcome of a dispute.We may not have sufficient funding for exploration and development,which may impair our results of operations and growth potential.The capital required for exploration and developme

137、nt of mineral properties is substantial.In the past we have financed operations through public and private sales of our common stock,the sale of interests in mineral properties(including the sale of our interest in the former Mt.Hamilton project in 2015),the utilization of joint venture arrangements

138、 with third parties(generally providing that the third party will obtain a specified percentage of our interest in a certain property or a subsidiary owning a property in exchange for the expenditure of a specified amount),the sale of other assets including short-term investments,the sale of marketa

139、ble equity securities we hold,and funds from the issuance of long-term debt.We expect to need to raise additional capital,or enter into new joint venture arrangements,in order to fund our obligations with respect to our properties and our exploration activities required to determine whether mineral

140、deposits on our projects are commercially viable.New financing or acceptable joint venture partners may or may not be available on a basis that is acceptable to us.The inability to obtain new financing or joint venture partners on acceptable terms may prohibit us from continued exploration or develo

141、pment of our existing mineral properties or any new mineral property assets we may acquire.Without the successful sale or future development of our mineral properties through joint ventures,or on our own,we will not be able to realize any profit from our interests in such properties,which could have

142、 a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.A large number of companies are engaged in the exploration and development or sale of mineral properties,many of which have substantially greater technical and financial resources than us and,accordingly,we may be unable t

143、o compete effectively which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position,prospects,or results of operations.We are at a disadvantage with respect to many of our competitors in the acquisition,exploration and development or sale of mineral property assets and mining projects.Our com

144、petitors with greater financial resources than us are better able to withstand the uncertainties and fluctuations associated with sustained downturns in the market and to acquire high quality exploration and mining properties when market conditions are favorable.In addition,we compete with other com

145、panies in the mineral properties sector to attract and retain key executives and other personnel with technical skills and experience in the mineral exploration business.There can be no assurance that we will continue to retain skilled and experienced employees or 11 to acquire additional exploratio

146、n projects.The realization of any of these risks from competitors could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.The title to our mineral properties may be defective or challenged which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results

147、 of operations.In connection with the acquisition of our mineral properties,we conduct limited reviews of title and related matters,and obtain certain representations regarding ownership.These limited reviews and representations do not necessarily preclude third parties from challenging our title an

148、d,furthermore,our title may be defective.Consequently,there can be no assurance that we hold good and marketable title to all of our mineral interests.Additionally,we have to make annual filings with various government agencies on all of our mineral properties.If we,or our joint venture partners,fai

149、l to make such filings,or improperly document such filings,the validity of our title to a mineral property could be lost or challenged.If any of our mineral interests were challenged,we could incur significant costs in defending such a challenge.These costs or an adverse ruling with regards to any c

150、hallenge of our titles could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.Occurrence of events for which we are not insured or have limited insurance coverage may materially adversely affect our business.Mineral exploration is subject to risks of human injury,env

151、ironmental liability and loss of assets.We maintain limited insurance coverage to protect ourselves against certain risks related to loss of assets for equipment in our operations and limited corporate liability coverage;however,we have elected not to have insurance for other risks because of the hi

152、gh premiums associated with insuring those risks or for various other reasons including those risks where insurance may not be available.There are additional risks in connection with investments in parts of the world where civil unrest,war,nationalist movements,political violence or economic crisis

153、are possible.These countries may also pose heightened risks of expropriation of assets,business interruption,increased taxation and a unilateral modification of concessions and contracts.We do not maintain insurance against political risk.Occurrence of events for which we are not insured or have lim

154、ited insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.Normal weather variations as well as severe or violent storms could materially affect our operations due to damage or delays caused by such weather.Our exploration activities(and those of

155、our joint venture partners)are subject to normal seasonal weather conditions that often hamper and may temporarily prevent exploration or development activities.There is a risk that unexpectedly harsh weather or violent storms could affect areas where our projects are located,and we or our joint ven

156、ture partners conduct these activities.Delays or damage caused by severe weather could materially affect our operations or our financial position.Our operations could be negatively affected by existing laws as well as potential changes in laws and regulatory requirements to which we are subject,incl

157、uding regulation of mineral exploration and ownership,environmental regulations and taxation.The exploration and development of mineral properties is subject to federal,state,provincial and local laws and regulations in the countries in which they are located in a variety of ways,including regulatio

158、n of mineral exploration and land ownership,environmental regulation and taxation.These laws and regulations,as well as future interpretation of or changes to existing laws and regulations,may require substantial increases in capital and operating costs to us and delays,interruptions,or the terminat

159、ion of operations.In the United States and the other countries in which we operate or own assets,in order to obtain permits for exploration or potential future development of mineral properties,environmental regulations generally require a description of the existing environment,including but not li

160、mited to natural,archeological and socio-economic environments,at the project site and in the region;an interpretation of the nature and magnitude of potential environmental impacts that might result from such activities;and a description and evaluation of the effectiveness of the operational measur

161、es planned to mitigate the environmental impacts.The expenditures to obtain exploration permits to conduct our exploration activities may be material to our total exploration cost.The laws and regulations in all the countries in which we operate,or own assets are continually changing and are general

162、ly becoming more restrictive,especially environmental laws and regulations.As part of our ongoing exploration activities,we have made expenditures to comply with such laws and regulations,but such expenditures could substantially increase our costs to achieve compliance in the future.Delays in obtai

163、ning or failure to obtain government permits and approvals or significant changes in regulation could have a material adverse effect on our exploration activities,our ability to 12 locate economic mineral deposits,and our potential to sell,joint venture or eventually develop our properties,which cou

164、ld have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.Our operations are subject to permitting requirements which could require us to delay,suspend or terminate our exploration operations on our properties.Our exploration operations,including any exploration drilling p

165、rograms and other exploration activities,require permits from various state and federal governments,including permits for the use of water and for drilling exploration holes.We may be unable to obtain these permits in a timely manner,on reasonable terms or on terms that provide us sufficient resourc

166、es to explore or develop our properties in any way.Even if we are able to obtain such permits,the time required by the permitting process can be significant.If we cannot obtain or maintain the necessary permits,or if there is a delay in receiving these permits,our timetable and business plan for exp

167、loration of our properties will be adversely affected,which may in turn adversely affect our results of operations,financial condition,cash flows and market price of our securities.Due to increased activity levels of non-governmental environmental groups,native American,aboriginal,and local groups t

168、argeting the mining industry,the potential for the government or process instituted by these local groups,to delay the issuance of permits or impose new requirements or conditions upon mining operations may be increased.Any changes in government policies may be costly to comply with and may delay mi

169、ning operations.Future changes in such laws and regulations,if any,may adversely affect our operations,make them prohibitively expensive,or prohibit them altogether.If our interests are materially adversely affected as a result of a violation of applicable laws,regulations,permitting requirements or

170、 a change in applicable law or regulations,it would have a significant negative impact on the value of our company and could have a significant impact on our stock price.Our business could be negatively affected by changing climate and climate change laws.A number of governments,including the United

171、 States,have introduced or are moving to introduce climate change legislation and treaties at the international,national,state/provincial and local levels.Regulations relating to emission levels(such as carbon taxes)and energy efficiency are becoming more stringent.If the current regulatory trend co

172、ntinues,this may result in increased costs at some or all of our project locations.In addition,the physical risks of climate change may also have an adverse effect on our operations and properties.Some of the countries in which we own or have owned mineral property assets have implemented,and are de

173、veloping,laws and regulations related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.Legislation and increased regulation and requirements regarding climate change could impose increased costs or limit our ability,or our joint venture partners ability,to effectively advance our projects,including im

174、pacting our suppliers through increased energy,capital equipment,environmental monitoring and reporting and other costs to comply with such regulations.Our business is dependent on key executives and the loss of any of our key executives could adversely affect our business,future operations and fina

175、ncial condition.We are dependent on the services of key executives,including our Chief Executive Officer,Christopher E.Herald,our Chief Operating Officer,Walter H.Hunt,and our Chief Financial Officer,James R.Maronick.All those officers have many years of experience and an extensive background with S

176、olitario and in the mining industry in general.We may not be able to replace that experience and knowledge with other individuals.We do not have Key-Man life insurance policies on any of our key executives.The loss of these persons or our inability to attract and retain additional highly skilled emp

177、loyees may adversely affect our business,future operations and financial condition.Our business model relies significantly on other companies to joint venture our projects and we anticipate continuing this practice in the future.Therefore,our results are subject to the additional risks associated wi

178、th the financial condition,operational expertise and corporate priorities of our joint venture partners.The success of projects held under joint ventures that are not operated by us are substantially dependent on the joint venture partner,over which we have limited or no control.Our Florida Canyon p

179、roject and our Lik project are joint ventured with other mining companies that manage the exploration activities on the projects.We are the minority-interest party at Florida Canyon and a 50%partner at the Lik project.Although our joint venture agreements provide certain voting rights and other mino

180、rity-interest safeguards,the majority partner and/or operator not only manages operations,but controls most decisions,including budgets and scope and pace of exploration and other activities.Consequently,we are highly dependent on the operational expertise and financial condition of our joint ventur

181、e partners,as well as their corporate priorities.For instance,even though our joint venture property may be highly prospective for exploration success,or economically viable based on future feasibility and/or other studies,our partner may decide not to fund the further exploration or development of

182、our project 13 based on their respective financial condition or other corporate priorities.Therefore,our results are subject to the additional risks associated with the financial condition,operational expertise and corporate priorities of our joint venture partners,which could have a material advers

183、e effect on our financial position or results of operations.Our Lik project requires unanimous consent by the joint venture partners for annual budgets in excess of$1.0 million.Consequently,exploration of the Lik project could be delayed without the unanimous consent of both parties to certain propo

184、sed actions or transactions.We may look to joint venture with another mining company in the future to explore,develop and/or operate our current or future projects;therefore,in the future,our results may become subject to additional risks associated with development and production of our foreign min

185、ing projects.Neither we,nor our joint venture partners are currently involved in mining development or mining operations at any of our properties.In order to realize a profit from our mineral interests we have to:(1)sell our properties or interests outright at a profit;(2)form a joint venture for th

186、e project with a larger mining company with greater resources,both technical and financial,to further develop and/or operate a project;(3)develop and operate such projects at a profit on our own;or(4)create and retain a royalty interest in a property with a third party that agrees to advance the pro

187、perty toward development and mining.In the future,if our exploration results show sufficient promise in a future project,not currently under joint venture,we may either look to form a joint venture with another mining company to develop and/or operate the project or sell the property outright and re

188、tain partial ownership or a retained royalty based on the success of such project.Therefore,in the future,our results may become subject to the additional risks associated with development and production of mining projects in general.In the future,we may attempt to acquire a new mineral property ass

189、et,or another company and the acquisition may require a substantial amount of capital or the issuance of our capital stock to complete.Acquisition costs may never be recovered due to changing market conditions,or our own miscalculation concerning the recoverability of our acquisition investment.Such

190、 an occurrence could adversely affect our business,future operations and financial condition.We have evaluated a wide variety of acquisition opportunities involving mineral properties and companies for acquisition and we anticipate evaluating potential acquisition opportunities in the future.Some of

191、 these opportunities may require a substantial amount of capital or the issuance of our capital stock to successfully acquire.As many of these opportunities do not have reliable feasibility-level studies,we may have to rely on our own estimates for investment analysis.Such estimates,by their very na

192、ture,contain substantial uncertainty.In addition,economic assumptions,such as future costs and commodity prices,also contain significant uncertainty.Consequently,if we are successful in acquiring any new opportunities and our estimates prove to be in error,either through miscalculations or changing

193、market conditions,this could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations.Failure to comply with the FCPA could subject us to penalties and other adverse consequences.As a Colorado corporation,we are subject to the FCPA and similar worldwide anti-bribery laws,whi

194、ch generally prohibit United States companies and their intermediaries from engaging in bribery or other improper payments to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business.Foreign companies,including some that may compete with us,are not subject to U.S.laws and regulations,inc

195、luding the FCPA,and therefore our exploration,and potential future development,production and mine closure activities are subject to the disadvantage of competing against companies from countries that are not subject to these prohibitions.In addition,we could be adversely affected by violations of t

196、he FCPA and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions.Corruption,extortion,bribery,pay-offs,theft and other fraudulent practices may occur from time-to-time in the countries outside of the United States in which we operate.Certain of our mineral properties are located in countries that may ha

197、ve experienced governmental corruption to some degree and,in certain circumstances,strict compliance with anti-bribery laws may conflict with local customs and practices.Our policies mandate compliance with the FCPA and other anti-bribery laws;however,we cannot assure you that our internal controls

198、and procedures always will protect us from the reckless or criminal acts committed by our employees or agents.We can make no assurance that our employees or other agents will not engage in such conduct for which we might be held responsible.If our employees or other agents are found to have engaged

199、in such practices or we are found to be liable for FCPA violations,we could suffer severe criminal or civil penalties or other sanctions and other consequences that may have a material adverse effect on our business,financial condition and results of operations.Risks Related to Our Common Stock The

200、market for shares of our common stock has limited liquidity and the market price of our common stock has fluctuated and may decline.14 An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk.The liquidity of our shares,or the ability of a shareholder to buy or sell our common stock,may be s

201、ignificantly limited for various unforeseeable periods.The average combined daily volume of our shares traded on the NYSE American and the TSX during 2023 was approximately 62,000 shares.The market price of our shares of common stock has historically fluctuated within a wide range.The price of our c

202、ommon stock may be affected by many factors,including an adverse change in our business,a decline in the price of zinc or other commodity prices,negative news on our projects,negative investment sentiment for mining and commodity equities and general economic trends.We have a history of losses and i

203、f we do not operate profitably in the future it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations and the trading price of our common stock would likely decline.We have reported losses in 27 of our 30 years of operations.We can provide no assurance that we will

204、be able to operate profitably in the future or begin to generate significant and consistent sources of revenues or cash flows from operations.We have had net income in only three years in our history;(i)during 2015,as a result of the sale of our former Mt.Hamilton project;(ii)during 2003,as a result

205、 of a$5,438,000 gain on a derivative instrument related to our investment in certain Crown warrants and(iii)during 2000,when we sold our former Yanacocha property.We cannot predict when,if ever,we will be profitable again or able to begin generating consistent revenues or cash flows from our operati

206、ons or assets.If we do not operate profitably or identify and execute on outside sources of funding,we may be unable to fund our current or contemplated exploration activities,acquire new assets,or otherwise further our business plan.We have never paid,and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the

207、foreseeable future and,consequently,the ability to achieve a return on any investment in our common stock will depend on appreciation in the price of our common stock.We have never paid cash dividends on any of our capital stock,and we currently intend to retain future earnings,if any,to fund the de

208、velopment and growth of our business.Therefore,the holder of our stock is not likely to receive any dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future.Since we do not intend to pay dividends,the ability to receive a return on an investment in our common stock will depend on any future apprecia

209、tion in the market value of our common stock.There is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate or even maintain the price at which it was purchased.Issuances of our stock in the future could dilute existing shareholders and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.We have the

210、authority to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock,and to issue options and warrants to purchase shares of our common stock without shareholder approval,subject to certain limitations imposed by applicable stock exchange rules.In addition,during 2021

211、 we put an ATM(“At the Market”)program,in place,which was amended in 2023,to allow us to sell up to$10,000,000 in shares of our common stock under that program from time to time.Future issuances of our securities could be at prices substantially below the price paid for our common stock by our curre

212、nt shareholders.In addition,we can issue blocks of our common stock in amounts up to 20%of the then-outstanding shares without further shareholder approval.Sales of a substantial number of shares by the Company in the public market(or otherwise),or the perception that those sales may occur,could cau

213、se the market price of our common stock to decline.General Risk Factors The outbreak of pandemics may affect our assets,operations and development plans at our projects.We face risks related to health epidemics and other outbreaks of communicable diseases,which could significantly disrupt our operat

214、ions and may materially and adversely affect our business and financial conditions.Our business could be adversely impacted by the effects of epidemics or pandemics.How these epidemics or pandemics may ultimately impact our business,including our future exploration and other activities and the marke

215、t for our securities,will depend on future developments,which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted,and include the duration,severity,and any recurrence of various strains of an outbreak and the actions taken to contain or treat the outbreak.In particular travel and other restrictions establi

216、shed to curb the spread of pandemic diseases could materially and adversely impact our business including without limitation,planned exploration programs at our Florida Canyon,Lik and Golden Crest projects during 2024 and beyond,employee health,workforce productivity,increased insurance premiums,lim

217、itations on travel,labor shortages and the availability of industry experts and personnel,the timing to process drilling and other metallurgical testing,supply chain constraints that impede exploration operations,and other factors that will depend on future developments beyond our control,which may

218、have a material and adverse effect on our business,financial condition and results of operations.There can be no assurance that we will not be impacted by pandemic diseases and that we could ultimately see our workforce productivity reduced or incur increased medical costs or insurance premiums as a

219、 result of these health risks.The outbreak of 15 pandemic diseases could create a widespread global health crisis that contributes to volatility in the economy and financial markets that could have an adverse effect on the future demand for precious and base metals and,in turn,our prospects.A signif

220、icant portion of our liquid assets consist of money market funds,U.S.Treasuries and cash held in brokerage accounts.The failure of the financial institutions that issued or hold these financial instruments or our cash could have a material adverse impact on the market price of our common stock and o

221、ur liquidity and capital resources.At December 31,2023,we have invested$7,738,000 in money market funds and$698,000 in United States Treasury securities(“USTS”)held in a brokerage account,with maturities of between one day and 2 months and we have approximately$140,000 of our cash in uninsured depos

222、it accounts and brokerage accounts which are not covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Company insurance.The failure of a financial institution holding these funds and assets could have a material impact on the market price of our common stock and our liquidity and capital resources.Increased costs c

223、ould impede our ability to explore sell or develop our current projects.Capital and operating costs at mining operations are subject to variation due to a number of factors,such as changing ore grade,changing metallurgy,and revisions to mine plans in response to changing commodity prices,additional

224、drilling results and updated geologic interpretations.In addition,costs are affected by the cost of capital,tax and royalty regimes,trade tariffs,the global cost of mining and processing equipment,commodity prices,and foreign exchange rates,as well as the costs of fuel,electricity,operating supplies

225、,and appropriately skilled labor.These costs are at times subject to volatile price movements,including increases that could negatively affect our ongoing exploration efforts and negatively impact our potential for future development or sale of our exploration projects as well as our estimates of mi

226、neral resources.This could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects,results of operations,cash flows and financial condition.We are dependent upon information technology systems,which are subject to cybersecurity risks,disruption,damage,failure and risks associated with implementatio

227、n and integration.We are dependent upon information technology systems in the conduct of our operations.Our information technology systems are subject to disruption,damage or failure from a variety of sources,including,without limitation,computer viruses,security breaches,cyber-attacks,natural disas

228、ters and defects in design.Cybersecurity incidents,in particular,are evolving and include,but are not limited to,malicious software,attempts to gain unauthorized access to data and other electronic security breaches that could lead to disruptions in systems,theft of assets,unauthorized release of co

229、nfidential or otherwise protected information and the corruption of data.Various measures have been implemented to manage our risks related to information technology systems and network disruptions.However,given the unpredictability of the timing,nature and scope of information technology disruption

230、s,we could potentially be subject to operational delays,the compromising of confidential or otherwise protected information,loss of assets,including our cash,short-term investments,or marketable equity securities,destruction or corruption of data,security breaches,other manipulation or improper use

231、of our systems and networks or financial losses from remedial actions,any of which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows,competitive position,financial condition or results of operations.Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments None Item 1C.Cybersecurity Risk Management and Strategy We rel

232、y upon technology and information systems to support our mining exploration business.These systems may be susceptible to cybersecurity risks including,but not limited to,external attackers,malware,viruses,and unauthorized access to our information technology(“IT”)systems.We have invested in cybersec

233、urity controls and processes to address these threats and reduce the risk of future breaches and cyber-attacks.Our operations rely on the secure processing,storage and transmission of confidential and other information in our computer systems and networks.Computer viruses,hackers,employee or vendor

234、misconduct,and other external hazards could expose our information systems,and those of our vendors,to security breaches,cybersecurity incidents or other disruptions,any of which could materially and adversely affect our business.While we take cybersecurity seriously,we mitigate the common cybersecu

235、rity risks that many companies face by greatly limiting the accessibility of and our reliance on our cyber profile and web-based activities.Of our nine employees(six full-time,three part-time),a total of three employees plus one third-party information-technology consultant(our“IT Consultant”)that w

236、e contract with have access to our cyber system.No vendors or customers have access to our system,which greatly minimizes the risk of unauthorized access.No part of our business entails third-party members of the public accessing our accounts,making purchases,or ordering products or services,which g

237、reatly reduces our risks of cyber-attack and 16 minimizes the potential consequences if such an attack were to occur.In addition,although we do have a website,it is maintained offsite and is not connected to our file server,which is maintained separately in our office rather than being connected to

238、the Internet or linked to any third-party cloud storage system.Despite our relatively low risk cybersecurity profile and the minimal threat of cybersecurity incidents that we face,we contract with one IT Consultant to assist us in identifying any potential cybersecurity risks and in implementing and

239、 maintaining effective measures to reduce our cybersecurity risks.Our IT Consultant helps ensure that our system is updated with the latest cybersecurity patches and configurations and monitors our system and accounts for suspicious activity.Additionally,we invest in firewall protection through Syma

240、ntec Corporation,which is a provider of Internet-security technology and business-management solutions.Our Symantec firewall protection is designed to monitor and secure our computers from malicious inbound and outbound traffic and to provide an additional layer of protection to our network and data

241、,which helps mitigate the risks of unauthorized access and cybersecurity threats.In addition to relying on the advice and knowledge of our IT Consultant,our IT Consultant maintains our firewall protection through Symantec.We monitor daily reports from the firewall protection,which would indicate any

242、 suspicious activity in our accounts or system as well as notify our IT Consultant,who would contact our Chief Financial Officer.Our Chief Financial Officer would consult with our IT Consultant to assess and determine the materiality of the risk presented by the suspicious activity and to determine

243、what steps should be taken to protect the limited data we maintain online.Depending on the materiality of the risk,our IT Consultant and Chief Executive Officer would consult with our Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to determine an appropriate notification and risk-management plan.We did n

244、ot identify any cybersecurity incidents during the year ended December 31,2023 that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect Solitarios business strategy,results of operations,or financial condition.Despite the low accessibility of our server and system and the resultan

245、t low cybersecurity risks that we face,we recognize that no system is completely protected from cyber threats,that cybersecurity risks are increasingly difficult to detect,and that the increasingly digitalized landscape that businesses operate in increase the pervasiveness and severity of cyber-atta

246、ck risks.While we do not believe our business strategy,results of operations,or financial condition have been materially adversely affected by any cybersecurity threats or incidents,there is no assurance that we will not be materially affected by such threats or incidents in the future.We will conti

247、nue to monitor cybersecurity risks with our IT Consultant and stay apprised of changes in the cyber environment.Governance As part of our overall risk management approach,we prioritize the identification and management of cybersecurity risk at several levels,including Board oversight,executive commi

248、tment and employee training.Our Audit Committee,comprised of independent directors from our Board,oversees the responsibilities relating to the operational(including IT risks and data security)risk affairs of the Company.Our Audit Committee is informed of such risks through quarterly reports from ou

249、r executive officers and it reports any material findings and recommendations to the full Board for consideration.Item 2.Properties CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING DISCLOSURE OF MINERAL PROPERTIES Mineral Reserves and Resources We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act and applicabl

250、e Canadian securities laws,and as a result we report our mineral resources according to two different standards.U.S.reporting requirements,are governed by Item 1300 of Regulation S-K(“S-K 1300”),as issued by the SEC.Canadian reporting requirements for disclosure of mineral properties are governed by

251、 National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects,as adopted from the definitions provided by the Canadian Institute of Mining,Metallurgy and Petroleum.Both sets of reporting standards have similar goals in terms of conveying an appropriate level of confidence in the disclosur

252、es being reported,but the standards generally embody slightly different approaches and definitions.In our public filings in the U.S.and Canada and in certain other announcements not filed with the SEC,we disclose measured,indicated and inferred resources,each as defined in S-K 1300.The estimation of

253、 measured resources and indicated resources involve greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic feasibility than the estimation of proven and probable reserves,and therefore investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated resources will ever be converte

254、d into S-K 1300-compliant reserves.The estimation of inferred resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their 17 existence and economic viability than the estimation of other categories of resources,and therefore it cannot be assumed that all or any part of inferred resources will ever be upg

255、raded to a higher category.Therefore,investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred resources exist,or that they can be mined legally or economically.Technical Report Summaries and Qualified Persons The scientific and technical information concerning our mineral projects in t

256、his Annual Report on Form 10-K have been reviewed and approved by“qualified persons”under S-K 1300,including our Chief Operating Officer,Walter Hunt.For a description of the key assumptions,parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and mineral resources included in this Annual Report

257、on Form 10-K,as well as data verification procedures and a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental,permitting,legal,title,taxation,sociopolitical,marketing or other relevant factors,please review the Technical Report Summaries for each of th

258、e Companys material properties which are incorporated by reference into,this Annual Report on Form 10-K.Golden Crest Project(United States)1.Property Description and Location (map of Golden Crest project)The Golden Crest project is in the northern Black Hills of western South Dakota in Lawrence Coun

259、ty.A map of the project location is shown above.The Golden Crest project is comprised of 1,724 unpatented lode claims,with an associated area of approximately 33,334 acres.Two hundred forty-one of the claims are leased from Golden Crest II,LLC,a Wyoming limited liability company(“GC LLC”)and 27 unpa

260、tented claims(“Easter Claims”)are leased from the Easter Project,LLC,a Wyoming limited liability company.All the remaining claims are owned by Solitario and were staked throughout 2021 and 2022.Solitario acquired its lease interest in the GC Claims in May 2021 by entering into the GC Agreement with

261、GC LLC.Terms of the GC Agreement include scheduled payments to the underlying owner of$65,000 paid upon signing and an obligation to pay the underlying owner$60,000 at the first anniversary date.To continue the lease,Solitario has agreed to pay,at its option,the underlying owner escalating annual pa

262、yments over a five-year period that total$340,000 and annual payments of$150,000 thereafter.Solitario has agreed to pay the underlying owner an additional success fee of$1.00 per ounce of gold in the event Solitario files a 43-101 qualified resource of up to 1.5 million ounces of gold or a maximum o

263、f$1,500,000.Solitario has agreed to perform escalating work commitments,at Solitarios option,on the GC Claims totaling$3,000,000 in work expenditures during the first five years of the lease.Solitario has fulfilled its$1,200,000 work commitment for the first three years.On March 30,2022,Amendment 1

264、to the GC Agreement was signed that provided all work commitment periods will be on a calendar-year basis.The term of the GC Agreement is for twenty years and is automatically extended as long as Solitario is performing any exploration,development or mining activities on the GC Claims.The underlying

265、 owner will retain a 2.0%Net Smelter Return royalty.Solitario has the option,but not the obligation,to reduce the Net Smelter Return royalty to 1.0%by paying the underlying owner$1,000,000.GC LLC reserves a three-mile area of interest to its original claim position and the terms of the GC Agreement

266、applies to this area of interest.In February of 2022,Solitario entered into a lease agreement(the“Easter Agreement”)whereby Solitario acquired exclusive exploration rights to the Easter Claims in the Black Hills region of South Dakota.The Easter Claims are part of Solitarios Golden Crest project.Ter

267、ms of the Easter Agreement include$10,000 paid upon signing,scheduled annual payments to the underlying owner totaling$180,000 through the tenth anniversary,and$30,000 per year thereafter.On March 18 30,2023,Amendment 1 to the Easter Agreement was signed reducing all future work commitments on the E

268、aster Claims to 1,000 feet of drilling,upon approval of drilling permits.All other terms of the Easter Agreement are substantially the same as the Golden Crest Agreement,except there is no area of interest.Federal maintenance fees and county registration due in 2024 will be approximately$381,000 for

269、 all Golden Crest claims currently held by Solitario.2.Accessibility,Climate,Local Resources,Infrastructure and Physiology Access to the Golden Crest project by road is by traveling south of the city of Spearfish,SD along several paved and/or gravel roads.US Highway 14A,and US Highway 85 are near th

270、e eastern and southern boundaries of the Golden Crest project.Maintained gravel roads extending westward and northward from Highways 14A and 85 as well as numerous unmaintained,numbered secondary United States Forest Service(“USFS”)roads provide additional ingress to the Golden Crest Project.The Gol

271、den Crest Project is in forested highlands with subdued relief separated by steep-sided canyons.Elevations in the immediate area range from approximately 1,500 m to 2000 m.Spearfish Creek,a stream with a perennial flow,is situated on the eastern-side of the property while most other creeks on the pr

272、operty are generally dry in the summer months.Vegetation consists of mixed forest composed of deciduous hardwoods and conifers with sporadic meadows and locally dense underbrush.Stands of timber of commercial value cover the property at higher elevations and are managed by the USFS.Logging activitie

273、s have been widespread on large portions of the property in the past five to twenty years and are ongoing.Climate at the Golden Crest project area is temperate,characterized by hot summers,cold winters and pronounced seasonal variation in precipitation and temperatures.Average annual temperature,as

274、measured at the Spearfish weather station,is 55F with seasonal variation averages highs of 32F and 80F in winter and summer respectively.The average amount of annual rainfall is approximately 26 inches along with 44 inches of snowfall(as measured at the Spearfish recording station).Average precipita

275、tion is greater at the higher elevations of the property itself.The mineral exploration season is generally from early-April to late-November.The closest population center is Spearfish,South Dakota(population 11,500),which represents the largest city in Lawrence County(population:25,800).Spearfish i

276、s located along Interstate Highway 90,linking Rapid City,South Dakota to Gillette,Wyoming.Spearfish supports light industry,ranching and tourism and hosts a small university,Black Hills State University.The nearest towns to the project area are Lead(population 3,000)and the nearby town of Deadwood(p

277、opulation 1,500),which is the county seat of Lawrence County and a major tourism and gaming center for the area.Mining related employment continues to be an important segment of Lawrence Countys economy.The closest regional airport servicing the area is at Rapid City,situated approximately 80 km sou

278、theast along Interstate Highway 90.All major commercial and industrial services are available in Rapid City.Other mining services are available in Lead,South Dakota due to the legacy of the Homestake Mining Company(“Homestake”)operations and the currently producing Wharf mine operated by Coeur Minin

279、g.Solitario maintains an office in Spearfish,South Dakota.3.History The state of South Dakota ranks third among US states for historic gold production,totaling approximately 51 million ounces produced through 2020,most of which came from the world class Homestake Mine in Lead.The first documented go

280、ld discovery in the Black Hills was made by prospectors attached to the Custer Expedition of 1874,who discovered placer gold in gravel bars along French Creek near the present site of Custer,South Dakota.The first known lode claims in the Black Hills were located in the spring of 1876 at the head of

281、 Gold Run and Deadwood Gulches.Beginning in the 1890s,hundreds of mines and mining companies sprang to life in the northern Black Hills,clustered within a relatively small area measuring 20 km long by 16 km wide,and centered around the cities of Lead and Deadwood.Collectively this area,known as the

282、Lead Gold District,is one of the richest gold districts in the world.Gold mining has occurred continuously in the district for 145 years,a record unmatched by any other US gold mining district.Despite the importance of the Lead Gold District among American mining camps,during the last 140 years very

283、 little regional exploration has been conducted on the property which comprises the Golden Crest project.Although the Golden Crest project is adjacent to the Lead Gold District,the lack of regional exploration is apparently due to the widespread cover of the gold bearing Precambrian rocks by younger

284、 sedimentary formations.The Golden Crest project is within several kilometers of district mines with significant historical production,yet only a handful of prospect pits occur on the property.It is also thought that the subdued topography,soil cover and absence of outcrops of the distinctive Precam

285、brian rocks that host the ore in the main Lead Gold District resulted in the project area being largely overlooked for such a long time.There is no prior documented work on the property with the exception of three exploration core holes drilled by Homestake in 1993-1994,a small cluster of small pros

286、pect pits and a very limited stream sediment survey.19 GC LLC staked the 241 GC Claims in 2021.Solitario acquired these claims in May of 2021.Prior to Solitarios acquisition of the GC Claims,GC LLC completed a minimal amount of work comprised mainly of rock sampling throughout the area.GC LLC discov

287、ered gold bearing rocks,mainly along recently disturbed logging roads,in the area where Homestake collected and documented gold anomalies in dry stream sediments.The Easter Claims property,previously known as the 11th Hour Mine,had a longer history with minor production in the early 1900s where by 1

288、906 nearly 4000 feet of underground workings had been developed.However,an attempt to mill the mined ore was a technological failure and no further work was known to have been completed after 1909.4.Geological Setting Geologically,the Black Hills consists of Archean and Proterozoic crystalline rocks

289、 that are overlain by Paleozoic rocks ranging in age from Cambrian to Pennsylvanian.Precambrian rocks in the Lead window consist primarily of Precambrian metasedimentary rocks and minor extrusive metabasalts and intrusive gabbros.The Paleozoic sequence of marine sedimentary rocks(mainly carbonates a

290、nd calcareous sediments)contains five formations,dominated by the Cambro-Ordovician Deadwood Formation at its base and the Mississippian-aged Pahasapa Group(regionally known as the Madison Group)at its top.Thin stratigraphic units including the Ordovician Winnipeg and Whitewood Formations and Devoni

291、an Englewood Formation are present.The Deadwood Formation is the most important Paleozoic host for Tertiary replacement gold mineralization and paleoplacer gold deposits in the historic district.The Mississippian Pahasapa Group contains three recognizable members that correlate to the Lodgepole Lime

292、stone,Mission Canyon Limestone and Charles Formation of the regional Madison Group.This carbonate package contains several evaporite horizons that can be well-mineralized on the Golden Crest property.The Pahasapa Group is overlain in stratigraphic unconformity by the Minnelusa Formation,a package of

293、 Pennsylvanian-aged shallow marine and continental red beds and evaporite successions up to 180 m thick.The upper Pahasapa was strongly karsted in the Black Hills prior to deposition of the Minnelusa,producing the worlds largest known paleo-cave systems.This karsted carbonate package is an important

294、 lithologic host for alteration and mineralization across the Golden Crest project.The thickness of the Paleozoic sedimentary package varies from east to west across the Lead District from less than 240 m thick east of Deadwood to over 365 m thick at Tinton in the west.Tertiary igneous rocks prefere

295、ntially invade several shale horizons in the Deadwood Formation and have locally inflated the thickness of the Cambro-Ordovician section by up to 300 m.Igneous rocks rarely intrude higher stratigraphic units except for a few pre-mineralization laccolithic stocks and plugs.The Golden Crest project ar

296、ea is centered on a broad synform separating the Lead and Tinton domes in the west-central part of the Lead Gold District.Geographically the synform constitutes a broad plateau 40 km long and up to 20 km across with little structural or topographic relief.The surface of the plateau is dominated by U

297、pper Paleozoic rock units,the Mississippian Pahasapa Group and the Pennsylvanian Minnelusa Formation.No Precambrian is exposed on the Golden Crest project property and only three diamond drill holes have been drilled into these Precambrian rocks.5.Prior Exploration and Recent Work The first known mi

298、neral exploration work on the property was a limited dry stream sediment survey conducted by Homestake from 1988 to 1993 over a 250 square kilometer area.The results of this survey pointed to a seven square kilometer area of anomalous gold values that was subsequently staked by the GC LLC and leased

299、 by Solitario.Homestake drilled three deep exploration core holes in 1993-1994 on Solitarios current property,but not in the area of the anomalous gold values in dry stream sediments.The objective of these holes was to test for the presence of the Precambrian Homestake Formation that hosts the proli

300、fic past-producing 42 million-ounce Homestake gold deposit.Homestake reported that two of the three holes intersected the Homestake Formation.From approximately 2017 to 2020,GC LLC conducted surface exploration consisting of collecting 251 rock float samples mainly exposed in and near recently const

301、ructed logging roads.Of these,103 samples contained gold values greater than 20 parts per billion(“ppb”)gold,with 12 samples containing greater than 1,000 ppb gold.Many of the collected rock samples were siliceous hydrothermal breccias(jasperoids)that occurred as narrow veinlets cutting the limeston

302、e formation at surface.In March 2021 Solitario started exploration activities in the area.Exploration largely consisted of widespread sampling of suspected mineralized and hydrothermally altered rock float,primarily from the Pahasapa and Minnelusa Formations and systematic soil sampling on a grid.Ou

303、tcrop or subcrop is rare so rock sampling is often limited to float which is resistant to weathering.The topography of most of the property is flat to very gently rolling so the lateral transport of the surficial rocks is minimal.20 Apart from the float rock which is highly resistant to weathering,t

304、he inference of the subcropping geology is limited to areas where the topography is less flat and those areas where road cuts or road beds expose“C”horizon soils.The inability to observe outcrop limits the ability to detect and interpret the geometry and thickness of zones of alteration,so a soil sa

305、mpling program was initiated property-wide to assist in the identification of new target areas for mapping and more detailed rock sampling.Exploration work during the past three years has consisted of grid soil sampling,select grab rock sampling of float and less commonly bedrock,hand-dug trenching,

306、geologic mapping and Induced Polarization ground geophysics.6.Mineralization The Black Hills are unique for the remarkable spatial superposition of several genetic styles of gold mineralization formed over 2 billion years of geologic history.In excess of 90 million ounces of gold(recorded past produ

307、ction+unmined resources reported from published sources believed to be accurate,but not verified)are contained within five distinct styles of gold deposits in roughly a 300 square kilometer area.The repeated formation of large gold deposits over time in the same small geographic area argues for a fu

308、ndamentally gold-enriched area of the earths crust that has persisted since the Archean time.Solitarios property does not contain any historic producing mines nor resources and the presence of nearby gold deposits does not indicate that economic gold deposits are present on the Golden Crest project.

309、A Laramide-aged igneous belt of alkalic magmatic intrusive centers occurs along a linear WNW-trending belt for approximately 150 km across the northern Black Hills and includes dozens of intrusive stocks and laccoliths and innumerable dikes and sills concentrated in five magmatic centers.These Terti

310、ary-aged intrusive rocks have remobilized important orogenic gold mineralization in the Precambrian basement into overlying Paleozoic rocks.In the Ruby Basin camp at the Wharf Mine Complex,thick pre-mineral igneous sills acted as permeability barriers within the Deadwood Formation that resulted in t

311、he deposition of gold mineralization.Alteration,gold and trace element enrichment in the Pahasapa formation at the Golden Crest project is viewed as a possible indication of replacement-style epithermal mineralization in stratigraphic units lower in the sedimentary sequence that do not outcrop on th

312、e Golden Crest property(e.g.Upper and Lower Deadwood Formation).Ore-forming magmatic hydrothermal fluids ascended from mineralizing centers may have passed through overlying Paleozoic carbonate sections along subvertical faults and fractures,becoming progressively cooler and diluted by ground water,

313、and depositing trace elements and gold.This extensive hydrothermal fluid interaction is interpreted to have resulted in widespread low-temperature alteration of limestones,silicification and geochemical anomalism+/-gold mineralization in the Pahasapa Formation.Over twenty gold-enriched target areas

314、have been identified by Solitario by select rock grab sampling.All of these prospects have returned anomalous gold assays,with fourteen containing multi-gram gold per tonne and the remaining prospects returned values between 0.1 and one-gram gold.with fourteen containing multi-gram gold per tonne an

315、d the remaining prospects returned values between 0.1 and one-gram gold.Rock sampling at Golden Crest is usually of float grab samples,consequently their significance to underlying bedrock is not always certain.However,we believe that virtually all the reported assay samples are derived from the imm

316、ediate area in which they were collected.Late in the 2021 field season,Solitario received very high-grade gold values from select surface grab rock samples at the Downpour target area.Additional surface sampling was conducted in the immediate area of the high-grade samples and eight continuous three

317、-meter(total 24 meters)rock-chip channel samples were also collected.In 2022,Solitario sampled an additional 127.5 meters of trenching at Downpour,where significant high-grade intervals were found as shown in the lefthand Downpour Target map below.The majority of these samples were in bedrock or wea

318、thered bedrock.Solitario also expanded its exploration search area at the Downpour Prospect in 2022 and successfully enlarged the potential target area for high-grade gold mineralization.As shown on the Rock Grab Sample Assay Map on the righthand side below,mineralization at Downpour has now been id

319、entified over an 800-meter-long strike length,with a width of up to 500 meters wide.This prospect remains open in three directions.Work conducted in 2023 suggests that the high-grade gold mineralization may extend another two-to three-kilometers to the northeast of Downpour.We refer to this new area

320、 as Wild Rose.21 Downpour trenching results with assay values in gpt gold.Greater Downpour area with rock grab sample assay results.In 2022,Solitario discovered a new area of significant mineralization within a generalized area called Ponderosa.Select grab sampling of float,weathered bedrock and bed

321、rock yielded both low-and high-grade gold mineralization.Three centers of mineralization were initially identified by select grab samples:Geyser,Spur and Zig Zag.Based on these very favorable results,a trenching program was initiated.At Spur,a 234-meter trench along an abandoned logging road yielded

322、 an average grade of 0.82 grams per tonne(“gpt”)gold.At Zig Zag,a 27-meter-long trench resulted in an average grade of 3.22 gpt gold.Extensive sampling conducted in 2023 northeast of the Geyser-Spur-Zig Zag area strongly suggests that high-grade gold mineralization extends another two kilometers and

323、 includes the newly discovered Sleeping Beauty and Holland zones.Assay results for both the select rock grab samples and trenching samples are presented on the map below:0.894.170.93Bedrock Chip ChannelWeathered BedrockC-Horizon Soil+Weathered Bedrock0 10 20 mSCALESAMPLE TYPEDownpour TargetTrench Re

324、sultsDEEP SOIL,NO SAMPLE*All samples are 3.0 meterintervals and reported ingrams per tonne goldunless otherwiseindicatedTrench 260 m 8.55 g/t AuTrench 312 m 0.56 g/t AuTrench 515.6 m 17.1 g/t Au 22 Geyser-Spur-Zig Zag prospect area with gold(gpt)assays for rock grab samples and trench samples.All ar

325、eas of trenching on the Golden Crest properties are manually completed using hand tools and are reclaimed as soon as sampling is complete.Revegetation is accomplished utilizing a seed mixture approved by the USFS.7.Drilling:No drilling has been conducted at the Golden Crest project by Solitario but

326、is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2024,pending permit approvals(see Exploration and Development section below).8.Sampling,Analysis and Security of Samples The collection of all select surface grab rock samples was supervised by project geologists,including chain of custody.Rock grab sam

327、ples were reconnaissance select composite samples that usually displayed alteration,typically silicification,and hydrothermal brecciation.Many of the select grab samples were rock float.These samples were derived from the underlying bedrock in the immediate area,with little transport due to the subd

328、ued relief.In all cases the samples are composites within a small area of less than one-square meter or composites of sub-crop or outcrop.The significance of these samples is limited to determining whether gold,or trace elements usually associated with gold,are present within rocks affected by hydro

329、thermal alteration fluids and assay results may not be representative of,nor verify economically mineable mineralization at depth.Chip-channel and trenching and composite samples were more systematically collected as a measured continuous sample of bedrock,bedrock+weathered bedrock and weathered bed

330、rock.The chip channel assays are thought to be the most representative of bedrock mineralization in comparison to trench samples that contained weathered bedrock and/or soil.In all cases,chip channel and trenching samples are considered more representative than select grab samples.Samples were analy

331、zed by ALS Laboratories in Reno,NV,a laboratory accredited in accordance with the standards of ISO 17025:2017.The samples were crushed and pulverized,and sample pulps were analyzed using industry standard fire assay methods.A certified reference sample or duplicate was inserted at least every 20th s

332、ample.9.Prefeasibility Studies:No prefeasibility studies have been conducted on the Golden Crest project.23 10.Reserves and Resources:There are no reported mineral reserves or mineral resources on the Golden Crest Project.11.Drill Hole Permitting,General Reclamation and ESG Solitario submitted a Pla

333、n of Operations(“POO”)to the USFS in late-2021 for 25 widely spaced drill hole locations throughout our property position.After USFS comments,and Solitario responses to those comments,the POO was deemed complete in May of 2022.Respec Company LLC(“Respec”)was engaged by the USFS to complete an Environmental Assessment(“EA”)on Solitarios proposed POO activities.A draft EA was completed and publishe